Ready
by atpoteat
Summary: A troubled teen moves to Las Vegas, but the world of illegal street racing draws him in again. Before long he's tangled in a battle for the affections of a mysterious boy and he has to fight for his own life.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is what happens when you've watched F&F: Tokyo Drift too many times and you're moving to Las Vegas… so, be warned. Also, there will be alternative pairings in this fic.

And, this isn't me abandoning Big Sky: I've had this idea in my head for months and I keep pushing it aside, but it finally decided to take more form.

Warnings: Angst, language, yaoi, yuri, violence. Same old, same old. Also, I still don't own Gundam Wing…

* * *

Ready 1/?

Trowa kept his face blank as he entered the office, determined to frustrate the school principal as much as he could. So far, in the five high schools he had attended, the silent-sullen approach had worked well.

The principal was a woman, her hair pulled back in sharp buns on either side of her head, and one look at her told Trowa that she might have invented the silent-sullen approach.

She arched an eyebrow at him when he came in and gestured imperiously to the empty chair across from her desk. The small nameplate in her front of her desk declared her to be 'Dr. M. Une.'

"Mr. Barton, you are quite the troublemaker," she started without preamble. Trowa blinked back his shock at her candor.

"I realize that, at the age of seventeen, you've seen a lot of the world already and think you know more than most people ever will," she paused and looked to him for confirmation; receiving none she continued, "but you don't. Mesa Verde has an excellent reputation, Mr. Barton, and while your education has been…sporadic in the past, your test scores indicate that you have the intelligence to do well here. The only questions are your discipline and your will to succeed."

She stopped talking and leaned back in her chair, still looking at him over the top of her glasses as if she owned him.

"Your sister, Catherine Bloom, is very anxious that you do well here. I understand that the courts have granted her temporary custody."

Trowa felt a muscle in his jaw spasm as the woman continued to push.

"You remaining in her care is very important to her, and is also contingent upon your performance in this school – as well as a cessation of your previous, illegal activities. This is Las Vegas, after all, and if you want to find trouble, you can. Do you, Mr. Barton? Do you want to find trouble?"

He continued to remain silent, knowing that if he spoke now, he would say something that would have him on a plane and back to New York and a foster home.

"I have seen a lot of challenged youths in my time, Mr. Barton. You are no more or less special than some of those. And like them, you have a choice to make: will you continue on this destructive path or will you reform and actually make yourself into someone who has a full, useful life?"

She waited another moment, then pushed a manila envelope across the desk to him.

"Your class schedule is inside – your sister chose your elective classes, if you want to change them, you may speak with Mr. Nance, the councilor for your group – Also in there is a map of the campus, your locker number and code, and a list of the school rules. Follow them. I don't want to see you back in here until we have a meeting with your sister and a social worker in four months to update your progress. Are we clear, Mr. Barton?"

"Yes, ma'am," he ground out.

She smiled tightly and waved her hand, dismissing him.

He rose as insolently as possible and took his bag and the envelope, closing her office door behind him with more force than necessary.

Outside her office was a low bench and he sat on it as he looked over the schedule. He wasn't surprised to find himself in advanced classes – Une was right, he WAS intelligent: AP English, European History, Calculus, Physics, and French. It was his sister's choice of electives that surprised him: Art Studio and Theatre. Usually he was forced into a band class – when he had been younger he had played the flute, but had long ago lost interest in the instrument. Art was a class he had taken in the past, but with little support from his caretakers it had been difficult to do well; Catherine had been pushing him into theatre for years now, so that class wasn't as surprising.

It was a challenging schedule, and he was sure that Catherine and Une had concocted it in the hopes that he would be too overwhelmed with schoolwork to do anything else. He felt like smirking. He was definitely up to the challenge.

Looking at the clock on the wall told him he had five minutes left until the first class began and so he found the campus map and set about locating the 'Social Studies Building' to find his history class.

On his way he surveyed the campus and the student population. Despite the name, the campus was as red and dry as the rest of Las Vegas, and the students were a diverse mix of races and classes: a true blend of the locals.

Trowa shook his head, and wondered how long it would be before he was on that plane back to New York.

* * *

Since senior year courses didn't require a history class, his was filled with seniors who, with a few notable exceptions, looked like the future crop of Ivy Leaguers. The notable exceptions were himself and a girl and boy who sat towards the back of the room. The girl looked Asian and had short, dark hair and, while dressed as well and stylishly as the rest of the girls in the class, had an air about her that suggested she was fed up with the world's population in general, and the people around her specifically. She watched Trowa enter and gave him a nod, no doubt recognizing a kindred spirit. The boy that sat in front of her looked to be her total opposite: he wore baggy, ripped jeans and a faded Yankees T-shirt. A thick braid of hair hung down his back and his bangs hid half of his tanned face. He was scowling and staring at the bank of windows to his left, barely awake.

Trowa took a seat a few rows in front of the two, with the rest of the class sitting in front of him, jockeying for the positions closest to the front. He rolled his eyes at the thought of them trying to show off and fought the urge to look back at the other two students to see their reactions.

A few minutes later the teacher entered and quiet settled.

"Good morning everyone! I'm so glad that all of my best students decided to take this class! I've missed having most of you, since freshman year. Now, I'm going to pass around the attendance sheet – sign your names and update your contact information. And here is the course syllabus." She started circulating the papers at the front of the room.

When the papers arrived at Trowa's desk he quickly filled out the required information and stood to pass them back to the boy and girl. The boy jerked upright as Trowa approached, giving the distinct impression that he had been asleep, and accepted the papers with a nod of thanks, his dark blue eyes not even meeting Trowa's.

Trowa returned to his desk and examined the syllabus. History was something he had always enjoyed, and the required texts for this class looked challenging – none of them could be considered traditional 'text-books' but were instead collections of essays, narratives, and primary sources.

Instead of starting a lecture, which Trowa would have preferred and even appreciated, the teacher grinned at the class and clapped her hands. Trowa winced at the sharp sound.

"Okay, now, instead of diving right in, let's take this class to catch up – I want to know what everyone's been doing with their summer and what plans you've made for college."

The other students gathered closer to her, abandoning their seats and any pretense at being scholarly. Only one student in front of Trowa, a boy with dark, unruly hair, refused to join in and instead pulled out a math book and began thumbing through it.

Trowa looked over his shoulder, not surprised to see the braided boy asleep, head cradled in his arms on his desk, and the Asian girl glaring ahead at the chattering students. She caught his eye and grimaced before grabbing her bag and moving forward. On her way she hit the braided boy on the head with her bag, startling him awake momentarily.

"Bitch," he muttered, glaring, before he put his head back down.

The girl sat down beside Trowa.

"I'm Meilin," she said.

"Trowa."

"Glad to see there's another one in here who doesn't want to make history into social hour," she said, her bitterness evident.

He smirked.

"I thought all girls liked to gossip. Something about their brains being too small for anything else?"

Her glare could have killed him on the spot.

"You sound just like – whatever. I'm going to let that one go, but the next one will have an equally sharp come-back, so make sure you have your tissue box handy before you try that again."

He nodded at her warning.

"Are you new here? I only ask because everyone else, even Duo," she gestured behind her to the sleeping boy, "has been here for about two years at least – and our group is the, um, brilliant one. So we don't get many students promoted into our classes."

Trowa blinked.

"You either insulted me or complimented me just now, I'm not sure which."

She grinned back.

"And you'll never know."

"I just moved here," Trowa offered.

She nodded, seemingly satisfied with his brief response.

"Figured. Let's see – if you're at Mesa Verde it means you've got money because we've got our quota of 'Les Miserables' filled, so you must live within the district… dad a lawyer?"

"Dead."

"Mom a lawyer?"

"Also dead."

"Alright…" she looked thoughtful as she tried to figure out another explanation for his existence and Trowa was gratified that she didn't immediately gush over him with pity.

"Got it! You just got adopted by one of 'The Producers' gay, chorus boy couples."

"Closer."

"Hm. What's your last name?"

"Barton. It won't help you."

She scowled at him.

"Want me to tell you?"

"No! I'll figure it out, before today is over, don't worry."

He smirked again and her scowl became more pronounced.

"Boys," she muttered.

Trowa looked around, making sure that the other students were still absorbed – or asleep – and then he leaned towards Meilin.

"My turn for questions," he said.

She looked suspicious.

"Alright."

"What do you people do for fun around here?"

She arched an eyebrow at him.

"By you people – do you mean them?" She gestured to the front of the class. "Or do you mean us?" She pointed to Duo and then back at herself.

"Us, definitely."

She smiled slightly, relieved.

"Good. Well, the usual – parties with alcohol and drugs, but nothing serious enough to get the cops called and our perfect records ruined. Or –" she frowned and looked him over, "or some of us are also involved in more… dangerous pursuits."

Trowa felt a small twinge of hope at her words.

"Like?" He prodded, unwilling to give away anything until she did.

"Mostly we push hobo's off of cliffs," she said and chuckled at his frustrated expression. "But when we run out of them, there's still racing."

"Racing? Cars, bikes?"

"Both – but mostly cars. Don't tell me –" she saw the look on his face. "God, another one. What is it with every interesting boy here wanting to kill himself?"

"I wouldn't call racing a desire to kill oneself, necessarily," Trowa argued.

"Yeah. Whatever."

The bell rung, interrupting their conversation and signaling the end of class.

Meilin grabbed her bag and prodded Duo again, who grumpily rose to his feet, glaring at her. He looked over at Trowa and arched an eyebrow.

"New conquest already, Mei? It's only the first day of school. Whatever will Chang say when you bring this one home?"

Meilin rolled her eyes at him.

"Trowa, this is Duo Maxwell – resident genius-slacker and heartbreaker extraordinaire."

Trowa shot her a questioning look at that – sure, Duo was handsome, but his entire manner seemed more indolent than seductive.

"He's gay," she explained, clearly exasperated, " and thus the hearts of most of the girls in this school have been broken."

Duo shrugged, completely unapologetic.

"Not my fault God didn't grace them with the perfection of a masculine form," he said, earning another attack from Meilin's bag.

Trowa smirked at that, and Meilin saw.

"No – no, come on! You too?"

He shrugged and Duo gave him a high-five.

"About time we got another one to join our pathetic numbers here, welcome to the club."

Meilin rolled her eyes.

"C'mon, you're going to be late for your next class – and you need to save those tardies for later this year, Duo."

"Yes, mom."

* * *

Trowa was a little shocked to have Meilin and Duo – as well as the majority of the history class – in both his AP Calc and English classes. The teachers of those classes, however, were more concerned with educating than socializing, so even though the three sat near each other, they didn't speak until the bell after English class released them for lunch hour.

He joined them at their 'usual spot' outside on the small, dirt filled quad under one of the few trees struggling to survive.

He commented on the school's false advertising.

"Tell me about it – I moved here from freakin' Tampa – talk about complete opposites. Florida was crawling with life and green shit and here's it's just… dust." Was Duo's thought.

"It's not that bad – at least it isn't humid. How many times have I heard you tell me that you prefer the weather here, Duo? And anyway, at least it doesn't snow." Meilin shuddered. "I used to live in Connecticut – and I'll trade greenery for warmth any day."

"Where do you hail from?" Duo asked around his sandwich.

Trowa shrugged.

"All over. Recently from New York."

"City?" Meilin asked, ears perked as she continued to try and discover his identity.

Trowa nodded.

"What brings you out here?" Duo asked and then cried out in pain when Meilin elbowed him. "What?"

"She's trying to figure that out, on her own," Trowa explained.

Duo rubbed his side.

"Doesn't mean she gets to kill me," he muttered.

"Trowa's going to join us tonight," Meilin told Duo.

"He is?" Duo asked, frowning as he looked over at Trowa, who was hiding his own confusion.

"Sure. Figure I'll introduce him to Wufei… show him around a bit. Why? Don't you like him?"

The fact that Meilin was asking Duo in front of Trowa no doubt led to the following, vague response.

"It's not that… I mean, he seems okay, maybe, it's just… whatever."

Meilin smiled as if she had won a victory. She turned to Trowa.

"We have an annual start of the year party at my boyfriend's. It begins at nine. Give me your address so I can pick you up."

Her tone of voice left no room for argument. Trowa looked over at Duo, who shrugged. When he turned back to Meilin she was holding out a pad of paper and a pen.

Resigned, he took them and wrote down both his address and his phone number.

It wasn't until later, when they parted ways to head to the last class of the day, that it occurred to him she would no doubt use the information to discover who he was.

* * *

When he arrived at his Art Studio class he was surprised to see Duo already in the classroom, sitting at the front, disturbing eager to learn. It was a marked change in the boy, who had shown a lack of interest in their other classes.

Trowa debated sitting beside Duo, but a short girl with violet hair slid into the seat before Trowa had reached a decision. Instead Trowa sat in the back. The class was the smallest yet – only ten students – and the teacher looked more serious than any of the others.

"Alright, welcome back to another year – those of you who are returning – and welcome to a new student, Trowa Barton." He nodded towards Trowa, and the class turned. Trowa nodded back and the interest in him was immediately lost. "When you lot came in as freshmen we worked on your drawing skills, sophomore year painting, and last year sculpture. This year, your final year, I'm going to let you experiment. The goal is for each of you to put together a portfolio that you can show to colleges and potential employers. Roughly speaking, we'll be completing eight projects each semester. Ideally I want you to use different media and subjects, but I'm flexible on this if you want to create a series. I'm going to pass out the schedule and – don't get too excited – a list of contests and galleries that are looking for new work. I expect each of you to enter at least two of these each semester. Alright, I'm going to let you get started – the first project is due next Friday. Duo, Trowa, I need to talk to each of you."

Duo followed the teacher over to his desk and Trowa used the time while they spoke to look at his course schedule again to discover the instructor's name: Khusrenada.

Looking around the room, Trowa realized that the other students were serious about Art – the conversations that were springing up around the room seemed to be focused around discussing college plans and summer trips to Europe. Somehow their conversations were more tolerable than those in his history class, which had seemed annoyingly flippant.

Khushrenada signaled to him and Trowa walked over to his desk.

"I'm going to be honest here, Trowa. I'm not sure this is the right class for you. Personally, I would prefer to put you back a level, but I've been overruled on that." He looked irritated for a moment. "However, I have been assured by both your sister and the school's principal that this is a subject you excel in – is there any chance you have a portfolio I could look at that would set my mind at ease?"

Trowa shook his head.

"Sorry, I do have my latest sketchbook – it's got a few pages in it."

"Bring it here," Khushrenada instructed, frowning.

Trowa retrieved the book and handed it over. There were less than twenty-pages worth of sketches inside, and most of them were character studies he had done at the airports on his way out, only a few were more involved.

"Good," Khushrenada pronounced. "You've got some nice stuff going on. I'm going to request that this first project of yours is a painting – your choice of oil or acrylic – and then second project do a sculpture. If those are satisfactory, then you can continue in this class – otherwise we'll need to work out something else."

Trowa accepted the book back and returned to his seat.

A moment later he was joined by Duo and the violet haired girl.

"This is Hilde. Hilde, this is Trowa." Duo said as he pulled up a chair and straddled the back. Hilde perched on the table in front of Trowa and smiled at him.

"Hi," she said.

He nodded back at her just as Duo grabbed his sketch-book and started to flip through the pages.

Trowa clamped down on his irritation at the invasion of his personal space and waited for Duo to finish looking at it. Hilde rolled her eyes at Duo's presumption.

"Satisfied?" Trowa asked when Duo finally handed it back.

Duo shrugged, unfazed by Trowa's anger.

"Wish you had more in it – guess it's new?"

Trowa didn't respond and Duo grinned.

"Another one with a stick up his ass," he told Hilde.

"Did you come back here just to harass me?" Trowa demanded.

"Naw, Hilde thought you were hot and wanted me to introduce her – she doesn't believe me that you're gay, and –" Duo stopped talking to block the punch Hilde aimed at his face, but even she was grinning.

"Actually, we came back because Duo's always obnoxious after lunch and I was hoping to ditch him in your company so I could get some research done. And because he won't stop talking about this "new, hot guy" –" she ducked Duo's arm and jumped off the desk, headed towards the computers against the far wall.

"She's completely worthless when it comes to making a smooth entrance," Duo groused.

"Not that you're much better," Trowa said.

Duo looked offended.

"I can be smooth when I want." He paused and scooted his chair closer. "You don't have to come tonight, if you don't want to. You're new, so maybe you think you need to hang out with the first people who invite you to a party, but –"

"Is this your round-about way of telling me to fuck off?" Trowa asked.

"No! It's just… I don't know what Meilin told you about our crowd, but… we're not the kind of kids who just break into their dad's liquor cabinet."

"If you're hinting at illegal street racing, then I'm well aware, and that's the ONLY reason I accepted the invitation."

Duo was completely taken aback. His shock quickly turned to anger.

"Okay. Fine. Hope you enjoy it, then." He stood quickly, shoving the chair away, and joined Hilde at the computers.

She turned, wide-eyed to look at Trowa, who could only shrug in return, completely at a loss as to how he had angered Duo.

* * *

Trowa took the bus home, burying his frustration with Duo by glaring at the various frosh who tried to sit beside him.

Left alone, he spent the ten minute ride debating how to tell Catherine of his plans for the night. At least it was the weekend – school started on a Friday out here, the logic of which escaped him. Catherine, he knew, had two shows tonight and wouldn't be in until the early hours of the morning, so there was no reason for him to remain home by himself.

Except that Catherine wanted him to reform – which no doubt meant a curfew and late nights spent studying. Trowa knew his sister wanted them to be a family, wanted to help him; but that didn't mean it was what he wanted. He had spent the last ten years bouncing around in various foster-care homes, and now that his sister had actually been awarded custody, it felt surreal. All of the years without her, he had always told himself that one day it would be better – one day they would be together again. But now he was confronted with the truth: it wasn't better. She, like everyone else, didn't understand him and didn't want to. She only wanted to change him, she wanted him to fit into HER life, not the other way around.

He wasn't sure when he reached the decision to resist – but in the two weeks he had spent with her before the school year started she had tried her hardest to re-create the life, and the brother, she had once had.

"I'm going out tonight," Trowa announced when he spotted his sister by the balcony.

Catherine, watering the house plants, stopped and frowned at him.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? It's the first night of school and –"

"And it's also a Friday night, no school tomorrow."

"Well, who are you going out with?"

Trowa resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Some students in my AP European History class – one of them is in my art class, also."

"Oh – well, how did you like your classes?" She asked, coming to sit on the couch in the living room.

Trowa shrugged and Catherine's face went slack in disappointment.

"Trowa. Talk to me, tell me things. Please. We're trying here – right? Trying to be a family?"

Reluctantly he leaned against one of the side chairs and set down his bag.

"It was fine. My classes are challenging. I like them."

Catherine frowned at his response.

"Okay –well, what's your favorite so far?"

"What time do you have to be at the theatre tonight?" Trowa asked instead of answering.

"I need to leave in about twenty minutes – I won't be back until really late, you know. Hey, Trowa, why don't you come with me? You could watch the first show from the audience and then come backstage for the second show. Everyone's been asking about you – they're anxious to see you again. A lot of the old crew are still with the show, you know. And after the second show we're going over to Etienne's house – do you remember Etienne?"

As if Trowa could forget his first sexual encounter. It had happened three years ago, when he had come to visit Catherine for Christmas, and she had insisted he accompany her to the shows, and then the after-party. Etienne, who was eight years older than Trowa, and who he had known as a child, before his parents' death, had cornered him in one of the back rooms. It hadn't been a rape, by any means, but it was a bad enough experience for Trowa to avoid attending any parties with Catherine over the next two years when he came to visit.

"He's really glad that you're back with me. He asked if you would be coming to see the show soon." Catherine smiled at him. Of course she knew what had happened but had waved it off, insisting that Trowa just needed more experience. She thought the idea of Etienne and her kid brother was charming. Trowa did not share her opinion.

"I think it's important for me to make friends with this group of students," Trowa said. "They're intelligent and driven. I think they'll be a good example for me."

"Oh – well, that – that's true. Okay, that sounds like a good idea. Um, you've got my cell phone number? And you know how to get to the theatre, if anything happens?"

"Yes. I do."

"Okay – and you'll be safe?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I guess. Have a good time! I'll see you tomorrow?"

He nodded at her and she smiled slightly and, impulsively, hugged him.

"Oh, Trowa, I'm so glad to have you home!"

And then she was gone, leaving him blissfully alone.

* * *

It was eight before Trowa decided on what to wear – he wasn't sure what exactly the party would entail, but he desperately hoped there would be racing of some kind. The fact that he had no car of his own bothered him only a little – he planned on spending the weekend looking for jobs and soon enough, he was sure, he would be in a position to enter a race on his own.

After nearly an hour searching through the boxes in his room and the two suitcases he still hadn't unpacked Trowa found an outfit he thought would be appropriate. He pulled on his favorite, dark wash jeans before stepping into a pair of well-worn black Vans. It took him a little longer to decide on what shirt to wear and eventually he settled on his black Ramones t-shirt and a blue, pin-striped button up worn open over it.

It was eight-twenty when a car horn honked outside and he smirked, feeling a jolt of adrenaline at the possibilities the night held. He grabbed his wallet, cell-phone and keys and left the apartment.

The car double-parked outside made him rethink his decision to be involved with this group: it wasn't someone's souped-up Toyota or Honda. Meilin was driving a brand new Vauxhall.

Trowa ran his hand over the hood of the car as he walked around to the passenger side. Meilin was smirking as he got in.

"Pretty hot car, huh?" She teased.

"Yeah," Trowa tried to sound nonchalant but Meilin laughed and threw the car into gear, speeding out of the parking lot in a screech of tires before Trowa had even thought to reach for his seatbelt.

"You look nice," she said, glancing at him after merging onto the freeway.

"Thanks." He looked over at her clothes and noted the complete transformation: by day she was a preppy Asian girl, by night she dressed in skin-tight jeans and a top cut so low he wondered why she bothered with a shirt at all.

She caught him staring at her cleavage.

"I know, right? My boobs are so amazing you almost want to be straight."

Trowa shook his head.

"Sorry. They're nice, I'll give you that. But, nope, still gay."

She sighed in frustration.

"Figures. Okay, here we are."

Meilin pulled to a stop by the side of the road, behind a line of other cars parked on the desert. A few yards away a tent was erected and it looked like nearly a hundred people were crowded under it. The thrum of music filled the air. On the other side of the road was a spectacular view of the valley. Trowa could see the Strip and downtown surrounded by millions of lights.

"Nice view," he said as he climbed out of the car.

"Yeah. Every year we have to move farther and farther away."

"Why?"

"Real estate. They keep building out this way, so it's getting harder to find an out of the way place."

Trowa felt his pulse speed.

"Out of the way place for racing?"

She rolled her eyes at him.

"You have a one-track mind, you know that? C'mon, I'll show you around." She locked the car and gestured him towards the tent.

Trowa eagerly followed her into the crowd.

Most of the people gathered looked to be in their early twenties, but Trowa recognized a few faces from school that day, most notably Duo.

Gone was the shaggy slacker and Trowa now understood why Meilin considered Duo to be a heart-breaker. He was dressed in tight leather pants and a black muscle shirt that showed off his lean, tanned body. But it was his hair that was so captivating: at school Duo had kept it braided. Now it was loose, flowing around Duo's shoulders and giving him an almost ethereal appearance.

It took Trowa a moment to remember how to breathe. Meilin smirked at him, eyes following his.

"Shocking, isn't it? He's a completely different person around us."

Trowa nodded, still unable to look away.

"C'mon, you can drool over him later, I want to introduce you to Wufei."

Wufei was over to one side of the tent, engaged in some definite illegal activity, so Meilin just pointed at the attractive Asian man and then pulled Trowa off in another direction. After several minutes of being introduced, Meilin allowed him to search out Duo.

He was standing by the road, admiring the view and finishing off a beer.

Trowa walked over and stood beside the slightly shorter boy.

"Hey," Duo said. He seemed in a much better mood than when they had last spoken.

"Hey," Trowa replied.

"How do you like it so far?" Duo asked after tossing his beer bottle into the night.

Trowa waited until he heard the glass shatter before he answered.

"Good. Waiting to see what's going to happen."

Duo snorted.

"You mean you're waiting for the racing. Don't worry. As soon as Heero shows, it'll start."

"Heero?"

"He's… well, he's got a grudge to settle tonight, so we're waiting for him to show before we start the festivities."

"You don't sound very excited."

"I'm not," Duo assured him.

"Then why are you here?"

Duo glared at him.

"Why do you care?" He challenged.

Trowa's lips twitched.

"Because I'm part of the club now."

It took Duo a moment to remember what Trowa was talking about, but then he laughed.

"Yeah. Okay. It's complicated. Just – why are you here?"

"The racing, I thought that was clear."

Duo shook his head.

"You don't want to get messed up with us, Trowa. Racing isn't worth it."  
"Then what is?" Trowa took a step closer to Duo and watched as his blue eyes widened.

"Are you coming on to me?" Duo demanded.

Trowa smirked.

"Maybe."

"Then don't waste your time with that either. You'll only be disappointed."

"I doubt that."

"You – "

Duo stopped talked as a car sped towards them, lights still on bright and going at full speed. Instinctively Trowa grabbed Duo and pushed him farther off the road, keeping a hand on him even as the car screeched to a halt.

"That'd be Heero," Duo said, not pulling free.

"Knows how to make an entrance," Trowa said drily, breathing deeply to catch Duo's scent. He couldn't help but grin as he recognized the Axe body spray

The lights turned off and a slightly familiar figure got out of the car and walked towards them. Trowa recognized him from some of his classes.

Heero stopped a few feet away from them.

"Duo."

Duo pulled away from Trowa without a backwards glance and walked over to Heero, sliding an arm around his waist.

Heero glared over his shoulder at Trowa just before disappearing into the crowd under the tent.

"That went great, Barton," he muttered to himself before tossing his own beer bottle over the side of the road.

--

It was another twenty minutes before the cars started to line up. Trowa was able to get a better look at the vehicles as they pulled up. He was equally irritated and jealous to see that Heero was driving an Evo X – they weren't even scheduled to go on sale in the US until January, but Heero had somehow managed to get one. The rest of the cars were mixtures of American muscle cars, Audis, and Mitsubishi's. Trowa was mildly surprised to see Meilin's Vauxhall drive to the starting line, but when the driver stepped out it was Wufei, not Meilin.

As the crowd gathered around the cars Trowa felt a stab of envy.

Wufei walked over to him.

"Meilin tells me you're interested in joining our circuit," he said, lighting a cigarette.

Trowa arched an eyebrow.

"She does."

Wufei nodded, silent as he took a drag on the cigarette.

"Well, I suppose I could run alongside on foot."

Wufei smiled slightly at the weak joke.

"No car?"

"Just moved here from New York."

"Too bad." Wufei turned to walk away, but the sound of voices approaching stopped him.

Walking towards them were Duo and Heero, obviously in the middle of a fight.

"… was nothing. We met today at school."

"He was all over you."

"He pulled me out of the road so you wouldn't run over me!"

"You are such a slut."

"And you're an asshole. No, forget it, Yuy. You –"

"Is there a problem, Maxwell?" Wufei asked, at last interrupting them.

The two men came closer, both scowling. Heero turned a glare towards Trowa.

"Don't tell me you came here to race?" He sneered at Trowa.

"Nope. Just to enjoy the sights." Trowa looked over at Duo, letting his eyes linger on the angry teen.

Heero took a step forward and Trowa met him, glaring down at the shorter man.

"You got a problem?" He asked.

"Yeah. You. If you aren't here to race, then get the hell away."

"It's a free country."

Wufei pushed them apart.

"Gentlemen, we have a race starting in a few minutes. Why don't we settle this later?"

Heero sneered.

"Didn't figure you would hang out with such trash, Chang."

Wufei arched an eyebrow.

"I fail to see how your judgment is superior to mine, Yuy."

"Run and hide while you can," Heero said to Trowa. "Unless you're willing to get your ass kicked?" He jerked his head towards the cars.

Trowa's jaw clenched.

"Wouldn't want to embarrass you," he said, gritting his teeth in frustration.

Heero snorted.

"You mean you're afraid."

Trowa stepped forward again, but this time it was Duo who pushed them apart.

"As amusing as this is, Fei's right – the race starts soon."

"Well, how about it?" Heero challenged.

Trowa glared at him and, after a moment, Heero laughed and turned away.

"I thought so," he said over his shoulder as he pulled Duo after him.

Wufei sighed.

"That was fun." He looked at Trowa closely.

"I hate to encourage this, but I do have a spare car…"

Trowa looked at him incredulously.

"You're going to let a stranger drive the Vauxhall? How much money do you people have?"

Wufei coughed politely.

"Ah, no. No one but Meilin or myself drives the Vauxhall. I do have a recently... acquired Skyline that you could drive."

"What are the conditions?" Trowa asked, suspicions aroused.

Wufei shrugged.

"I want to see how well you can race."

Trowa frowned, but his anger over Heero's attitude and his desire to sit behind the wheel of a car won out over his suspicions.

"Alright."

Wufei nodded and dropped a set of keys into his hand. He nodded at the last car on the starting line, a dark green Nissan.

"There she is. You might want to look her over before we start."

Trowa nodded and approached the vehicle.

As he opened the hood and surveyed the engine and the Nox setup he realized that he was completely out of his league.

* * *

Meilin was in the Vauxhall next to him, smiling at Wufei, who stood on the sidelines, ready to call the race. Two cars over Heero was settling into his Evo X while Duo leaned into the passenger side window, giving Trowa a great view of his ass.

Meilin caught him looking and shook her head in amusement. Scowling, Trowa turned away and looked ahead.

There were five cars in the race, which was two miles to a construction site and then back.

The road cleared and an expectant hush fell over the crowd.

"Ready," Wufei said in a bored voice.

"Go." He said a moment later and the air was filled with exhaust as the racers tore off into the night.

Meilin's car jumped off to an early lead, but after the first quarter mile Trowa had come even with her and Heero had pulled ahead, the other two racers behind them.

Trowa managed to pull slightly ahead of Meilin, but Heero continued to pull ahead and Trowa cursed the other car.

As the construction site came into view Trowa prepared to turn, but Meilin had caught up and cut him off on the turn, forcing him into a wider turn that took him off the road.

"Damnit!" He put the car back in gear and rested his thumb over the Nox drive.

"Now or never," he muttered to himself as he watched Meilin move up on Heero.

A press of the button forced him back into his seat.

He passed Meilin in a blur, but Heero had decided to engage the Nox at the same time and was still pulling ahead.

Trowa's car started to shake, more than was normal, and he checked the dials, trying to figure out what was wrong.

"Shit." He looked up from the dials to catch Heero's car drifting in front of him, trying to cut him off. Trowa jerked the wheel around, coming towards the left, but Heero anticipated the move and the two cars collided.

Trowa fought to retain control of the Skyline, but the Evo was forcing him off the road. There was a moment when the two cars seemed to hang on the side of the road, and then Trowa felt a sickening lurch as they flew over the side, down the embankment.

"Oh fuck," he braced himself against the seat, preparing for the inevitable impact.

There was a twisting, groaning noise that alerted him to his impending death, and then he felt the force of the impact.

As quickly as he could he pried himself free of the restraints and struggled free of the car – he had been around enough accidents to know that cars with nitrous feeds didn't just die, they died a fiery, painful death.

Half-crawling, Trowa saw the Evo just to the side, and Heero still trapped inside.

Debating with himself for half a second, Trowa rushed over and helped pry the other man out of his car. He managed to pull them both away just as the fuel tanks ignited.

Feeling the heat burn his back, Trowa continued to pull them away.

By the time they reached a safe distance, Heero became aware of his surroundings.

"You destroyed my Evo," he said, voice deadly.

"I – you're the one who forced us off the road!" Trowa shot back.

"You have no idea how to handle a car. If you hadn't reacted so badly we'd both still be on the road," Heero retorted, clutching his side. Blood dripped from a cut near his eyes.

"You have got to be kidding."

Heero glared and struggled to stand on his own.

There were shouts from the road and Trowa looked up to see a crowd of people coming down the embankment.

Duo was the first to reach them. He took one look at Trowa and then went for Heero, helping the other man limp away.

Trowa watched them go, completely shocked.

"Trowa?" Meilin was in front of him, frowning. "Trowa, you ruined the Skyline."

"I realize that," he said, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice.

"You owe me a car." Wufei walked over, brushing dirt from his shirt and glaring down at Trowa.

"Yeah, I figured."

Trowa laid back on the dirt and closed his eyes. In less than twenty-four hours he had completely fucked up his life. Again.

* * *

TBC

Thoughts? I thought I'd try something that was kind of action-ish.

A/N: I don't really know ANYTHING about racing, or cars, so I'm learning as I go – that said, if anyone out there has some knowledge and some time I'd love to pick your brain. For now all my knowledge is courtesy of wikipedia and Need For Speed: Carbon

Also: underage drinking is bad. Drinking and driving is bad. Drugs are bad. Street racing is bad. So, nobody do those things… also, littering is bad.


	2. Chapter 2

Ready 2/?

* * *

"Do you have fifty thousand dollars sitting around?" Wufei asked.

Trowa glared at the Chinese man and picked up his coffee, still glaring as he took a sip of the scalding hot liquid.

Wufei and Meilin sat across from him in the booth of a greasy-spoon that was open 24hrs, Meilin devouring the steak and eggs special while Wufei looked on with a vaguely disturbed expression. Trowa had ordered a coffee – not wanting to be rude, but not wanting to eat in front of Wufei either. He was fairly positive that the Chinese man would have him shot at his earliest convenience.

"Do you have a job?"

"No," Trowa said between gritted teeth. He had planned to start looking for jobs the next day. Now, he supposed there was more urgency to that task.

"Then you work for me now."

Trowa arched an eyebrow at the other man.

"You aren't an excellent racer, but you'll make a decent driver. I'll need you to carry packages around town for me. And, after you've improved somewhat, you can be my man in the races."

Trowa jerked a head at Meilin.

"She already races for you."

Meilin glared at him, and pulled herself away from the steak, clearly spoiling for a fight. Wufei put a light, restraining hand on her arm.

"Meilin races for herself. How do you think she got the Vauxhall?"

"Her parents?"

Meilin smirked and her normally cute face turned predatory.

"I won three-hundred thousand dollars in racing."

"One race?"

"No, several – we'd race for money or pink slips, and I just kept beating everyone. Until Yuy," the last was added with a scowl and Trowa's interest was piqued.

"Where does he come in?" Trowa asked.

"He comes in as a pain in the ass," Meilin muttered. Wufei's lips twisted into an almost smile.

"Yuy's family has principal interest in twelve Las Vegas casinos – not all on the strip, but they don't do badly for themselves. He's got money to burn –"

"And an attitude to match," Meilin added.

"-he started to show up at our informal gatherings last year, and over the summer he started to join in the races. Since he started he's remained undefeated. And it's lost a lot of people a lot of money."

"And cars?" Trowa hazarded.

"We don't race for slips that often, but yes, Heero has caused some damage there as well."

"And you want me to beat him."

"If you can," Wufei said, a condescending smirk on his face.

"These packages you want me to carry, what exactly is in them?" Trowa asked as neutrally as possible. Wufei intimidated the hell out of him, but Trowa wasn't going to be backed into a corner.

"My family owns a florist shop. You'll be making late night deliveries," Wufei said.

Trowa thought it was a joke and was ready to deliver a sarcastic reply, but both Meilin and Wufei looked nonplussed. Surely he was joking?

"Flowers? You want me to deliver flowers? And that's going to pay you back for the car I totaled."

"Flowers and a few other items. That isn't really your concern." Wufei took a moment to snag a piece of steak from Meilin's plate and chewed it thoughtfully while he regarded Trowa.

"Now, are you in or do I need to have you killed?"

Trowa choked on the coffee, earning a satisfied smirk from Wufei and a roll of the eyes from Meilin.

* * *

The sun was rising by the time Meilin pulled into the parking lot at Catherine's apartment. Trowa sat in the passenger seat, trying to think of something to say to her.

"Great party. Thanks for the invitation."

She laughed.

"It wasn't that bad. Besides, the look on Yuy's face after the fire was priceless… he loved that Lancer, Trowa, and you completely destroyed it."

"He's the one who drove us off road!" Trowa protested, irritated that everyone seemed to look over this fact.

"Trowa, you didn't handle the Skyline at all well. It's no wonder the two of you crashed."

Trowa frowned, knowing she was right but hating to have it repeated to him. Again.

"Still…you shouldn't have provoked Heero."

"What?"

"With Duo. I saw you two – it's… what exactly are you trying to do, Trowa? Get everyone to hate you?"

"Duo is not a slave to Yuy's will. He can talk to me, can't he? Anyway, it's not like they were chummy at school."

Meilin sighed. "That's because – it's complicated."

Trowa leaned back in the seat, forcing himself to put aside his anger and his fatigue.

"Well?" He prompted after she glared at him for a moment.

Meilin put the car in park and leaned back in her own seat.

"Well, it's complicated. I told you we had a group – smart, rich kids, and that Duo was our resident genius slacker. We all went to middle school together, and we're all at the same high school. So, we know pretty much all there is to know about each other."

"And what's there to know about Duo?"

Meilin rolled her eyes before continuing. "Duo has a brother that is Wufei's age. They were the two who really got into the racing scene a few years ago. Solo – Duo's brother – worked for a garage in Henderson, and with Wufei's money they were able to put together some really good cars."

"And then?" Trowa prompted after a moment.

"And then Solo was arrested for grand theft auto and assault and sent to federal prison for seven years. That was two years ago."

"And Duo?"

"Duo followed Solo around everywhere, even to the races. He's been racing longer than I have, but he stopped after Solo was caught. It just seemed like all his joy was gone. He and his brother were very close – their parents died when they were young, and they're all the other has."

"Where does Duo live now?"

"With the owner of the garage. Howard's his legal guardian, and he turns a blind eye when Wufei brings in cars that look too expensive or too familiar."

"So he runs a chop shop."

"For us he does."

"How does Heero come into this?"

"You're right about Heero ignoring Duo at school – they're in totally different social circles. Heero has been dating Relena Peacecraft since we started high school. But, I don't know why or how, after Solo was arrested, Duo started hanging around Heero – at all the parties they'd be together and Duo was always ready to cheer on Heero at a race. I guess… I can't figure it out, to be honest." Meilin frowned and then shook her head. She turned and looked Trowa squarely in the eyes.

"Trowa, I like you. You're sarcastic and you're hot. So let me give you some advice: run Fei's packages and keep your nose out of it. Stay away from Duo and just try to graduate without getting sent to prison. And then get the hell away from Vegas. You really don't belong with our crowd."

It sounded like a challenge to Trowa, and he smirked as he got out of the car.

"Idiot," Meilin yelled at him before stepping on the gas and tearing away from the curb.

Trowa watched the Vauxhall speed away, running two red lights before it was out of sight, and then made his way up three flights of stairs to his apartment.

The lights were off inside and only the pale, early morning light illuminated the furniture in the leaving room. Trowa closed the door behind himself and leaned against it heavily. It looked like Catherine had spent the night somewhere else, which meant Trowa at least got off the hook as far as that went.

He took off his shoes and trudged toward his bedroom. Without bothering to undress he collapsed onto the bed, barely managing to pull the sheets up before he fell asleep.

* * *

The world was ending.

Trowa snapped awake and took in his surroundings.

Judging from the light it was early afternoon. There was no noise from the rest of the apartment and it took him a moment to discover why he had awakened.

His cell phone was on the bedside table, vibrating its way towards the edge and ringing at an annoying frequency.

Trowa fumbled for the phone and stared at the screen. The number was local and unfamiliar. Frowning, he flipped the phone open.

"Trowa."

"It's Wufei. I'll be at your apartment in ten minutes."

"What –"

"Ten minutes." The phone disconnected and Trowa sat staring at it for a moment before he was able to pull himself out of bed.

He ran a hand through his hair, trying to pull it back into shape, and walked over to his closet. He had to change – his clothes reeked from the fire and car fuel from the night before.

It was almost three, and Trowa was surprised that Catherine was still nowhere to be found. He knew she had to be at work by five – perhaps she had just stayed the day elsewhere.

By the time Wufei arrived Trowa was waiting for him in the parking lot, scowling at the bright sun and hot wind.

Wufei, Trowa discovered, drove a Lancer Evo himself – but it was a IX, not a X like Yuy's had been.

"Get in," Wufei directed through the open window of the car. Trowa wordlessly complied and Wufei sped away from the apartments.

"I'll take you by the flower shop and by the garage and introduce you to everyone," Wufei said, glancing over at Trowa, his eyes hidden behind black sun glasses.

"How do you expect me to be your delivery-boy without a car?" Trowa asked.

Wufei smirked. "We'll work something out."

The rest of the ride to the flower shop was in silence. The shop was located just off the Strip, across the freeway, behind the gold monument that was Mandalay Bay. Trowa arched an eyebrow in Wufei's direction as they got out of the Evo and approached the innocuous shop. While not a hole in the wall, it also wasn't particularly large or even that prosperous.

Wufei smirked at Trowa's expression.

"It's not much," he said, agreeing with Trowa's unspoken assessment. "But it's my mother's shop. My family runs other businesses as well."

Trowa nodded but refrained from asking further questions, Meilin's earlier warning echoing in his head.

Wufei opened the door to the shop and Trowa's nose was assaulted with the fragrances of hundreds of different flowers.

"Ma!" Wufei shouted out, unconcerned with the customers in the store, who turned, startled at the loud sound.

After a moment an irate, middle-aged woman appeared from the back of the store. She glared at Wufei.

"Would it kill you to be polite? I have customers – this is my store. Do I walk in on your business, screaming your name?" She demanded, hands firmly on her hips. She was rather short, and had to glare up at her son. Nevertheless, Trowa was tempted to seek shelter behind one of the flower arrangements.

But Wufei just turned his smirk towards her, the expression becoming somehow more charming. It look less than ten seconds for the woman to throw her hands up in the air.

"What am I going to do with you, hm? I can't believe Meilin tolerates your attitude. Now, what do you want?"

"I found you a new deliveryman," Wufei said, and gestured over his shoulder. Trowa took that as his cue and stepped forward, hand extended to her.

"Ma'am," he said politely, turning on the charm in the hopes of winning her over and irritating Wufei.

She looked him over, eyebrows raised slightly.

"And how did you find him? Did you kidnap him? How much am I paying him? How old is he? Does he even have a driver's license?"

Wufei's face split into a full grin now and he put a hand on Trowa's shoulder, propelling him closer to his mother.

"I'm a classmate of Meilin's – she suggested that someone responsible would find a good job here. I live with my sister, and –"

The woman's eyes first narrowed and then softened. She took Trowa's arm and pulled him towards the back of the store.

"Very well. If Meilin thinks you will do well, then we shall give you the chance. Let me show you the car. We already have a day delivery boy, so your hours will be at night – from seven until eleven during the week."

"On the weekends?"

"We have another driver for that."

"When –"

"Come by on Monday, at six. What kind of car do you drive?"

"Um –"

"Ma, we have to go."

The woman turned to glare at Wufei.

"Fine, fine. Take him. But if he messes up my deliveries –"

"He won't." Wufei leaned down and kissed the woman on her forehead. She sighed. "I'll see you tonight," he said.

"Is Meilin coming to dinner?"

"Yes, Ma."

"Don't 'Yes, Ma," me – "

"Bye, Ma."

Without further ado Wufei pulled Trowa from the shop. Both men unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. As the climbed back into the Evo, Wufei looked over at Trowa and smirked.

"Well?"

"Your mother is terrifying," Trowa said.

"Hmph." Wufei's smirk broadened as he drove them away from the shop and onto the freeway, heading south.

"Does she know… that I'm not just delivering flowers?"

Wufei's face hardened slightly.

"What my mother knows she keeps to herself." Wufei shot him a very pointed look.

"What? You want me to keep my mouth shut? Fine." Trowa leaned back in the seat and stared out at the desert landscape.

It was still a shock to him – this world of orange, red, and blue that was so different from life in New York City. Here, the sky was overwhelming, there it had been hidden and gray. Trowa looked back over at Wufei, but the Chinese man was lost in his own thoughts.

The landscape wasn't the only thing Trowa had to adjust to. The people here were different than those he was used to. Street racing in New York had been different – the cars were nowhere near as souped up as these, and the stakes not nearly so high. Here – here it was an entire world and culture that seemed to be fueled by the illicit nature of Las Vegas itself. It attracted Trowa more than he wanted to admit.

"Here's the garage. Let's get you a car."

Wufei pulled to an abrupt stop in front of a two-story garage painted in garish, overwhelming neon colors. Signs covered nearly every inch of the building, all with neon tubes.

"Wow."

"It's ugly, yes. But Howard is one of the better mechanics in town, and he's discreet. Come on and I'll introduce you."

Wufei started walking towards the garage and Trowa fell in step behind him, a little annoyed at how easily Wufei seemed to be commanding him.

They walked into the open doors of the garage and into a flurry of activity. At least three cars were being serviced, and mechanics were scattered about, talking and working. Speakers were mounted high the garage and blasted out Linkin Park. Most of the mechanics seemed indifferent to the music, but one, buried to his waist in the hood of a Skylark, was moving with the music and Trowa grinned at the sight of the mechanic's well-defined ass.

"This way," Wufei was walking deeper into the shop, completely impervious to the charms of the mechanic and focused on his own mission. Trowa pulled himself away from the view and reluctantly followed Wufei.

The Chinese man stopped beside a closed door and rapped his knuckles sharply. After only a moment the door opened and a man in a floral print shirt stood before them, shades covering his eyes and a devilish grin on his face.

"Chang, what trouble have you gotten into now?" He demanded.

"I've done nothing, Howard. This is my new driver, Trowa Barton."

Howard pulled the glasses down slightly and regarded Trowa with bright, twinkling blue eyes.

"You the kid that destroyed Yuy's Evo?" Howard demanded.

Trowa clenched his jaw against the sharp comeback that came to his mind and merely arched an eyebrow in challenge.

Howard threw his head back and laughed. He stepped forward and clapped a hand on Trowa's shoulder.

"I'd buy you a drink if you were old enough, kid. Someone needed to take Yuy down a few pegs – maybe next time you can beat him at a race instead of destroying his car, though, eh?"

Trowa felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth but he kept his face neutral and nodded. Howard turned back to Wufei.

"What do you need, Chang?" His voice lost some of its warmth, but Wufei seemed unfazed.

"A car. Barton is my new driver and since he…wrecked my new Skyline I'm a little short on vehicles."

Howard snorted derisively and turned back to Trowa.

"What do you want, kid?"

"What do you have?" Trowa shot back.

Howard smirked.

"We got plenty, don't know how comfortable I am with you behind the wheel though – you gonna crash again?"

"Only if Yuy tries to kill me again."

"Then maybe I should give you a bumper car." Howard pulled away from them for a moment and looked towards the front of the shop.

"Duo!" He shouted over the din of the music and action. Trowa followed his gaze.

At the front, the Skylark mechanic jerked upright, banging his head against the open hood of the car and cursing loudly. He turned, rubbing the back of his head. It was Duo.

"What?" He demanded, yelling back across the shop and making no move to approach them. His eyes narrowed as he took in Wufei and Trowa.

"Customer. Get your ass over here."

Duo abandoned the Skylark and walked towards them, cleaning his hands on a rag from his pocket as he did. Trowa took the opportunity to appreciate the front view of Duo in coverall's. Somehow the lithe teen managed to make the heavy gray fabric attractive. He had the top of the coveralls pulled down to his hips, the arms tied low on his waist and a stained wife-beater clinging to his torso. Duo's eyes narrowed as he caught Trowa staring at him.

"What's up Fei?" Duo asked as he came to a stop in front of them.

"Show these guys the lot out back – Chang wants to give this maniac another car to wreck," Howard said, waving vaguely before disappearing back in his office, the door slamming closed behind him.

"Well?" Duo gestured grandly towards an exit door at the side of the building. Wufei proceeded him out, followed by Duo, and then Trowa, who couldn't resist another opportunity to admire Duo from behind.

They stepped back out into the harsh desert light and Trowa shaded his eyes from the glint of sunlight reflected off of so many car windshields. There were close to thirty cars parked behind the garage, all looked to be in good working order and Trowa would have given his arm for any one of them.

"Pick one today, will ya? I've got a car to get back to." Duo said. He was leaning against the side of the building, frowning slightly and giving the appearance of supreme boredom.

Wufei arched an eyebrow at him.

"What's with you today? Yuy not up for a good fuck last night after losing his car?"

Duo pushed himself away from the wall.

"Fuck off, Chang. Pick your damn car already." Duo winded his way through the parked cars, every step revealing his anger.

"You certainly have a way with people," Trowa muttered as he walked past Wufei, following Duo deeper into the yard. He didn't spare a glance over his shoulder, but he was sure that Wufei would retreat back to the relatively cool interior of he garage. The sound of the door opening and then closing confirmed his suspicions.

Duo had perched himself on the hood of a Ford F-150, legs dangling over the grill and an insolent expression on his face.

"Well?" Duo demanded as Trowa approached. "Which one do you want?"

Trowa frowned, momentarily at a loss as to how to talk Duo down from the hood of the truck.

"Which one would you pick?" He asked after a moment.

Duo snorted. "Which one? I'd take any one of them – what do you want in a car? Do you want speed? Then go for the 'Vette. Do you want handling? Go for the Audi. You want muscle? Go for the Mustang. You want indestructible so you don't kill yourself next time you decide to go offroading? I think we've got a Hummer back there somewhere. So what do you want? We've got it and Chang's shelling out, so pick."

Trowa shook his head, baffled by Duo's behavior. It was clear he was furious about something, but his love and pride in the cars came through his voice, softening him. Trowa wanted to prevent a return to the anger.

"Which ones have you worked on?"

"All of them, at some point. But I just finished improving the Charger over there," Duo nodded towards a red Dodge with orange racing stripes. The blocky, box like form of the car attracted Trowa and he moved away from the truck towards it. As he stood admiring the lines of the car Duo came up beside him and popped the hood open.

"I left the Hemi V8 – she's a beefy girl and she needs the horsepower, but I've been tweaking the fuel lines and the suspension system. She used to do zero to sixty in just over six seconds."

"And now that you've improved her?" Trowa asked, grinning slightly at Duo's enthusiasm.

"Now she'll do it in five and a half – still nothing like Meilin's Vauxhall, or that beautiful Evo you destroyed, but she runs fast. And hard. And she's tough."

"Trust me to not wreck her?"

Duo frowned slightly and tapped a finger against his lips, pretending to consider.

"I dunno. If you hurt her, I might be forced to kill you."

Trowa chuckled.

"Can I try her out?"

"Sure. Lemme go grab the keys." Duo trotted back towards the garage, leaving Trowa to look over the Charger.

Trowa had never been a fan of Dodge's, but the obvious affection in Duo's voice, as well as the look of the car, intrigued him. He pulled the hood closed with a satisfying thud and walked around to inspect the rear of the car.

"Ready?" Duo asked, running up, face slightly flushed.

Trowa nodded and easily caught the keys that Duo tossed to him.

Together they climbed into the car and Trowa took a moment to appreciate the sleek interior. The seats were gray leather, and, while Trowa would have preferred black, the choice for a lighter color in the desert heat made sense to him. He sucked in a breath as he looked at the stereo.

"Yeah, I made some improvements there as well," Duo said, running a hand over the back of his neck and looking a little embarrassed.

"Were you fixing this car up for yourself?" Trowa asked, feeling a thread of doubt at taking this car.

"This baby? No way. She's great and all, but I've got a car that I wouldn't trade for the world." Duo gestured towards the road. "C'mon, Tro, let's see if you can manage to keep us alive."

Trowa arched an eyebrow, both at the nickname and at the challenge.

"Hang on," he said, and put the key in the ignition.

* * *

It was half and hour before they returned to the garage, and both were more at ease and content than they had been before the trial run. Duo grinned at Trowa as they pulled back into the lot behind the garage.

"Well?"

"You were right – she handles great for her size."

"And?"

"And she'll do."

"She'll 'do'? Barton, you've got some screws loose if you think –"

Trowa reached across the seats and took hold of Duo's head, pulling the other boy closer. He watched as Duo's eyes widened just before their lips connected. For a moment Duo was stiff, mouth open in the middle of his protest, but a second later he was pulling Trowa closer to him. The kiss turned heated as Trowa slipped his tongue into Duo's still open mouth, tasting and searching the other boy. Someone groaned, and Trowa didn't know if it came from himself or Duo, but it drove him further and he ran his hand over Duo's braid, teasing the tendrils of hair free and burying his hand at the base of Duo's neck. Duo arched into the touch, pulling his mouth away from Trowa, who took the opportunity to nip his way to the base of Duo's throat, tasting the sweat that was pulled there.

"Stop – " Duo was abruptly pulling away, pushing Trowa back to his side of the car.

Trowa frowned, thoughts still hazy with want and the bittersweet taste of Duo.

"What?"

"You – we – no. This is crazy."

Trowa smirked slightly. "And?"

"And no. I've got enough shit right now, I'm not going to start this with you."

"Start what?"

"Don't be an asshole. This can't happen. I'm with Heero – you KNOW that. And you – I just met you yesterday!"

"Yeah?"

"Christ, you're irritating. Look, Tro, you have no idea what you're getting into –"

"Everyone keeps saying that to me. The truth is, I do know what I'm getting into. I'm not some kid from nowhere, Duo. I know what I'm doing, and I know what I want."

"Don't look at me like that," Duo said, his voice hoarse.

Trowa arched an eyebrow in question.

"Or like that. Tro, you – you don't want to get mixed up with me."

"Yeah, I do."

"You don't even know me."

"Then give me the chance."

"I'm with Heero."

"Not right now. Not at school."

Duo scowled and Trowa took pity on him.

"Duo, I'm interested in you – but I'm not going to force you into something. If you don't want me, say it, and I'll leave you alone."

Duo looked angry. "Of course I want you."

"Then?"

Duo looked out of the side window of the car and heaved a sigh.

"I have to get back to work," he said eventually.

Trowa scowled, that was not the response he had anticipated.

"Duo –"

"I'll see you at school on Monday," Duo said as he opened the car door. Not even looking back at Trowa he got out of the car and closed the door behind him.

Trowa leaned back in the driver's seat, cursing himself for pushing too fast. He had always been impulsive…

His phone started to ring.

"Where are you?" It was Wufei's voice.

Trowa rolled his eyes.

"I'm still at the garage."

"Have you gotten a car yet?"

"Yeah, just picked one."

"Good." There was a pause on the phone. "I've got work for you. Meet me at this address."

Trowa scrambled for something to write with, but the car was spotless. He dug into his pockets, eventually finding an old receipt. The glove compartment thankfully had a pen inside.

"Ready."

Wufei gave him the directions and disconnected the phone. Trowa frowned at the paper in front of him, the street names mostly alien to him. He had had little chance to explore Vegas – on foot there wasn't much he could walk to, and Catherine had only let him drive her car around town once.

"Damnit." He looked towards the garage and debated going in to beg Duo for assistance but decided against it. In the end, as he pulled out of the lot, he caught sight of a gas station across the street and pulled in to buy a map.

* * *

It was just after sunset when Trowa made his way across town the one of the local's casino's where Wufei waited for him, leaning against his car and inspecting his nails as Trowa drove up.

Wufei took one look at the Charger and shrugged.

"Come on," he instructed and started walking towards the entrance to the casino.

"Um –" Trowa's fake I.D. had been confiscated several months ago.

Wufei seemed to sense his anxiety.

"They'll let you in, don't worry."

So Trowa followed Wufei into the smoky casino. A haze of gray hung over the air, dimming the bright lights of the slot machines. Only the lights over the poker tables were bright, and it was in their direction Wufei headed.

They made their way to the back of the casino, where an intense Texas-Hold 'Em game. The dealer looked up as they approached and nodded to Wufei. The Chinese man returned the gesture and stepped to the door behind the dealer's back.

Trowa followed him through to a dark hallway that led them around to a room with spare lighting. A card table was set up in the center of the room, and four men sat around the table. Trowa instantly recognized Heero.

"Chang, you're late," a blonde man with short hair said.

"I was delayed, Treize. So sorry." The Chinese man didn't sound the least bit apologetic, and Treize chuckled.

"Who is this?" The question came from a man with shoulder length blonde hair, seated to Treize's left.

Heero snorted derisively at the question, glaring at Trowa.

"My new driver," Wufei said.

"I never figured you for an idiot, Chang," Heero said. Wufei ignored him and turned back to Treize.

"He'll be making the runs from now on."

Treize nodded and turned a speculative eye to Trowa. He then turned to a woman by his side and whispered something to her. She nodded and left the table. There was a tense silence broken only by her return. She walked over to Trowa and held out a briefcase. He took it from her, surprised at how light it was.

"You can see yourself out, I trust?" Treize said, looking back down at the card table, completely dismissing them.

Heero stood and walked over to them, glaring at Trowa.

"I'll walk you out," he said. Wufei shrugged and gestured for Heero to lead the way. The blue eyed man sneered at Trowa and walked out. Wufei and then Trowa followed him.

Once back outside Heero turned on Trowa.

"You owe me, Barton," he said, stepping close to the taller boy.

"Owe you what?" Trowa demanded.

"A new car for one."

Trowa snorted. "Get over yourself, Yuy, and just buy another one. You've got the money, and if you're going to drive that recklessly, you shouldn't expect more from it. If I were you, I'd watch over things more closely."

Heero snarled.

"Stay away from Duo."

"You don't own him."

Heero's body vibrated with anger for a second, but then he shrugged, and a cool anger fueled his eyes.

"Fine. Make a fool of yourself. At least this will be amusing." With that last taunt Heero walked back into the casino.

Wufei looked over at Trowa.

"I have a way with people?" Wufei said, his amusement evident.

"Where am I taking this?" Trowa asked, hefting the briefcase. Wufei passed him a slip of paper and Trowa frowned.

"This is past Boulder City."

Wufei arched an eyebrow.

"It's in the middle of the desert."

"Then you should make sure you have a full tank of gas. Call me when the package is delivered." Wufei got back into his car and drove away, leaving Trowa to glare after him.

Trowa got back into the Charger and looked at the fuel dial: the tank was thankfully full.

His stomach rumbled and Trowa checked the time – it was nearly nine and he hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon. Groaning in frustration he pulled out of the casino parking lot and looked for a fast-food restaurant.

After pulling out of the Wendy's drive-thru, soda and Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger in hand, he headed back towards I-95 and the desert.

* * *

An hour and a half later he pulled off the empty stretch of interstate onto a dirt road. He drove another twenty minutes before he saw lights ahead.

He pulled to a stop in front of a trailer, dogs chained to the supports running at his car and barking furiously.

"This is fucking ridiculous," he muttered and got out of the car, grabbing the briefcase.

The door to the trailer opened and an overweight man appeared.

"Shut up!" He yelled at the dogs. They issued a few more yelps and then fell silent.

The man looked at Trowa.

"Want do you want?" He demanded.

"I've got a package from Treize."

The man sniffed the air, then gestured for Trowa to follow him inside.

Trowa walked towards the trailer, the dogs sniffing at his legs as he approached. One of them whined softly and nudged at Trowa's leg. He rubbed one hand over the dog's head and kept walking.

Inside the trailer several men were gathered together over a folding card table. Trowa resisted the urge to roll his eyes – did every business transaction have to occur over a card game?

No one looked up at the new arrival, and the man who had answered the door grabbed the briefcase from Trowa. He thumbed open the latches and looked inside.

Trowa couldn't resist looking over his shoulder and almost choked. The briefcase was packed with two plastic bags full for what looked like cocaine. Trowa thought about the weight of the case. He estimated there was nearly six pounds of cocaine in the bags.

The man grunted and closed the briefcase. He glared over at Trowa.

"Looks all here."

"Good," Trowa said, unaware of what else he should say or do. After another moment of glaring at Trowa the man walked over to a minifridge and pulled out a beer. Trowa took this as a dismissal and turned back to the door.

"You'll be wanting this."

Trowa turned in time to be hit in the face with a stack of money. He fumbled for it and looked at the crisp hundred dollar bills. He swallowed hard and saluted the man with the money before walking back to the car.

Sitting in the driver's seat, Trowa stared at the money for a second before shoving it into the glove compartment.

What the hell had he gotten himself into?

* * *

TBC…

A/N: So the action between Trowa and Duo moved a little fast, but I thought that it would work with the pacing of this fic, and, well, Trowa's lifestyle.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for the reviews – I'm trying to respond to individual ones, but this is a thank you for all the anonymous reviews – thanks for reading and especially thanks for taking the time to review.

* * *

Ready 3/?

Monday morning dawned bright and far too early.

Trowa had spent Sunday morning and afternoon with his sister shopping for school supplies and new clothes Catherine had apparently spent the hours while he was asleep Saturday going through his wardrobe and had decided that most of his clothes were close to falling apart. Which was true; and since Trowa convinced her to let him keep his jeans, he allowed her to pull him down the aisles at Target and Old Navy and attempt to dress him as she imagined her kid brother should dress.

That night, while Catherine was at work, Trowa once again ran errands for Wufei – driving once again to the trailer in the desert and then driving in the other direction, up 95 and back into the desert going in the other way.

He hadn't gotten home until nearly two in the morning and he was once again thankful that Catherine's job kept her out so late. And that she had friends that liked to go out for drinks afterwards.

But his alarm-clock didn't seem inclined to make his life easier. It went off loudly and rudely at five-thirty the next morning.

After several minutes of glaring Trowa finally surrendered and shut off the alarm. He rose from bed and walked over to his newly stocked closet and pulled out clothes at random.

Forty minutes later he was dozing on the bus as it made its way towards the school.

After much debate he had decided to park the Charger at the apartment complex across the street and not use it to drive to school. With his luck Heero would pay some kids to deface it. So he suffered through the ungodly bus ride and arrived at school just in time to be five minutes late to his first class – theatre.

Catherine had always wanted him to follow in the family footsteps, and Trowa knew that signing him up for this class was an attempt to steer him in that direction. And Trowa had told her yesterday that he would make an honest attempt at appreciating the class.

Which he did, for about twenty minutes.

He lasted through attendance, and through the irritating introductions and ridiculous game of creating an action to go with your name and then repeating it in a circle. But then, when the actual "class work" began, he gave up.

Trowa drew the line at spending half an hour pretending to be an ice-cream cone. The instructor's promise of attempting a table next week did nothing to help. In Trowa's mind this wasn't acting, this was a failed actor taking out his frustrations on unsuspecting high school students by forcing them to do completely ridiculous and pointless activities.

So as soon as his next class ended Trowa made his way to the front office and dropped the class. The secretary looked incredibly put out when he asked for the form, and it took nearly fifteen minutes for her to locate it. After than she interrogated him about why he wished to drop the class – forcing Trowa to concoct a lie about how afraid he was of public speaking. And then came the trauma of signing up for a new class. There were only three open classes during that period – gym, photography, and shop. Trowa's first request was photography, but the secretary insisted he take gym, and so they compromised on shop.

By the time his task was complete the lunch bell rang. Trowa was forced to skip the cafeteria line and instead cross the campus to the language building and his French class.

The class was small – there were only five students aside from Trowa and he remembered all of them from his history class last week. The syllabus was in French and all of the introductions were conducted in French. All of the students seemed to have an excellent vocabulary, and only one of them had a poor accent.

Trowa couldn't help but smirk, however, when he saw them furiously taking notes as the lecture started. French had never been a challenge to Trowa – having your parents and older sister born and raised in Quebec, and then growing up around French circus performers gave him an edge over the other students.

His next and last class of the day was Physics. He was a little disappointed that he hadn't seen Duo or Meilin all day. It would have been bizarre if they had all of the same classes, however, so he shrugged it off and headed for the science building.

He was surprised to see Duo in the class, and the braided boy looked none too pleased to see him. So Trowa made the most of the situation by taking the open seat at Duo's lab table, sitting down just as the teacher entered the room to begin the class.

While the course paperwork was being passed out Trowa chanced looking over at Duo. The other boy's eyes were focused on the course syllabus on the table, but one of his legs bounced nervously against the stool he sat on.

"Stop looking at me," Duo hissed after a moment.

Trowa smirked.

"Why?"

"Because it's distracting."

"Then stop looking so good. It's distracting."

Duo finally looked over at him, gracing him with a disgusted scowl.

"I can't believe you just said that."

"It got your attention."

"You are mentally ill, you know that?"

"What are you doing after school?"

"Homework."

Trowa gave him an arch look.

Duo sighed.

"Why?"

Trowa shrugged, feigning disinterest.

Duo shook his head.

"Fine. Whatever."

Duo turned away and focused on the teacher, who was now reading over the syllabus. As if the students were incapable of reading it on their own time.

After another few moments Duo's leg started to jump again as the boy grew bored with the lecture.

Trowa reached out a hand and put it over Duo's knee, squeezing lightly. Duo instantly stopped moving and turned wide eyes on Trowa, who quickly withdrew his hand and arched an eyebrow at Duo.

"You are –"

"Irresistible?"

"A pain in the ass." Duo sighed. "What did you want to do after school?"

Trowa took a moment to stomp on his pride before he launched into his prepared speech.

"I need your help. Meilin told me you used to race – and I need…I need a few pointers."

Now Duo arched an eyebrow.

"You want me to teach you how to street race?" His voice was incredulous. "I thought you already knew everything."

"No – I know what I want. And I also know what I need. I need your help."

Duo looked back to the front of the classroom, seeming to consider.

Ten minutes later he turned back to Trowa.

"Okay. I'll help you."

* * *

After they were dismissed Trowa followed Duo to the student lot. He kept his eyes out for Duo's car – imagining it to be some black vehicle of supreme speed, but he was disappointed when Duo came to a stop beside a purple Volkswagon Beatle.

Duo caught his look of disdain and chuckled.

"Hey, this girl's pretty fast."

"I guess." Trowa was quickly re-evaluating his opinion of Duo.

"'Course, I wouldn't be caught dead DRIVING one," Duo continued, but his words were directed to someone behind Trowa.

"Ha ha. If it's so painful for your delicate sensibilities then maybe you want to walk home, hm?" Trowa turned to see Hilde approaching. She smiled at him. "Hiya. I guess Duo didn't manage to scare you off, then?"

"Hardly," Duo muttered and Trowa shot him a smirk.

"Mind giving us a ride to the garage, Hil, love of my life?"

"Oh, whatever. Sure. Hop in." Hilde unlocked the car and Duo graciously allowed Trowa the front seat. From the way he slouched down in the back, however, Trowa was convinced that he was sitting in the front less for his own sake and more for Duo's pride.

"So, you survived the weekend," Hilde commented after pulling out of the lot and turning on the radio to the local alternative rock station.

"Hm."

"Duo told me that –"

"So, ANYWAY," Duo loudly interrupted from the back, earning a grin from Hilde, "word around the campfire is that you've got a few pieces coming up next week in a show and didn't think to tell your best friend."

Hilde pretended to concentrate on driving.

"So, when are we going to see them?"

"Oh, they're crap, Duo. Just some lame sculptures. Nothing really."

"Uh-huh."

Hilde groaned.

"Fine. We can go next Wednesday."

"Excellent. Yet another excuse to avoid filling out college applications."

"Duo! Early admission –"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'll have them done before October, don't worry."

Trowa was amused by their banter and leaned back in his seat, enjoying the ride and conversation between them. It was a few minutes before either seemed to remember that Trowa was even in the car with them.

"So, how did you like your first event?" Hilde asked, voice lowered conspiratorially.

Trowa shrugged. "I survived."

From the backseat Duo snorted a laugh.

"I hear that you've also made a new friend."

"Oh yeah. I expect you and Heero will be REAL chummy now."

"Now that what?" Trowa turned back and shot Duo a challenging look. Duo's face flushed and Trowa turned back to the front, a satisfied smirk on his face.

Hilde looked in the rearview mirror at Duo, and then over at Trowa. She shook her head.

"I don't even want to know. I'm just the dorky art student that gets to cart your ass around, Duo."

"And I love ya for it." Duo leaned forward and hugged Hilde from behind the seat. "Thanks for the lift." He was already opening the car door even though they had barely stopped.

Trowa nodded his thanks to Hilde and followed Duo from the car.

Duo walked around the side of the garage, skirting the open front as though he was afraid to be spotted.

Trowa followed him, hands shoved in his pockets and prepared himself to meet Duo's car.

It was a black, gleaming machine of speed. Trowa immediately recognized the classic lines, and even appreciated the thin, silver-white racing stripes down the sides and top of the car. He hummed in appreciation.

"Not bad, eh?" Duo asked, his pride evident. "You know, all those Japanese cars are sweet – but nothing beats good old American muscle, ya know?"

Duo ran a hand over the hood of the Mustang, his eyes gleaming.

"Should I leave you two alone?" Trowa asked, teasing slightly.

Duo's face reddened slightly.

"Naw. C'mon and hop in."

Trowa climbed into the passenger side and took a moment to appreciate the interior: black leather, sunroof, incredibly expensive stereo.

"I'm almost afraid to ask how fast you've got her going."

"Well, once we get out into the desert a ways I'll show you," Duo promised.

* * *

Three hours later they drove back towards Las Vegas.

Duo was grinning slightly, and even Trowa was fighting back the urge to smile. It had been a good time, watching Duo put the Mustang through its paces and breaking all sorts of traffic laws. Fortunately they had been forty-five minutes away from any of the major roads, and hadn't even encountered another vehicle until they started to head back.

"Why don't you race anymore?" Trowa asked after a while.

Duo looked away from the road for a moment at Trowa, as if judging his question.

It was a while before Duo answered.

"There's no point in it anymore."

"Was there ever?"

Duo shot him a look.

"Hey, Mr.-All-I-Want-To-Do-Is-Race, don't even try to start judging."

"I'm not judging. I'm being incisive."

"Yeah, you're being an asshole. No, there wasn't ever a point to it. You know that – I mean, what the fuck, why do YOU race?"

Trowa was usually brutally honest with himself. And while he prided himself on that, he was also aware that being honest with others was often difficult, if not impossible, when it involved revealing information about himself.

So he shrugged off the question, earning a derisive snort from Duo.

"Right. That's what I thought."

The ride back continued in silence for some time until Duo spoke again.

"You hungry?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Pizza?"

"Is it good?"

"Best pizza outside of NYC – or so I've been told."

"I'll be the judge of that," Trowa said, but he looked over at Duo and saw that, while he hadn't been forgiven he had at least been granted a reprieve.

* * *

A week later they were returning from a similar training session.

"Well, hope I've been able to give you a few pointers." Duo said as he pulled into Trowa's apartment complex.

"I appreciate it." Trowa paused, awkward for a moment. "Want to come up for a while?"

There had been tension between them at school, and, while they didn't say much to each other, it was only when Duo was showing him how to drive that they had managed to relax more in each other's company. Meilin had run interference – making snide remarks and drawing them into conversations, but she seemed to be leaving things as they were. For his part, Trowa found it hard to forget what had transpired between them – the frantic kiss or the harsh words they had exchanged but Trowa hadn't tried to press Duo for anything more – he actually was learning from Duo; besides that, between running packages for Wufei and keeping up with schoolwork it was proving impossible to do more than that and get a few hours of sleep. Trying to chase down Duo – while a worthwhile pursuit – simply took too much out of him.

Duo turned to him, one eyebrow arched.

"And do what?"

"Homework?" Trowa suggested with a slight smirk.

Duo looked at him, considering.

"Sure," he said after a while and pulled the car into a parking spot.

Trowa let Duo walk into the apartment ahead of him and turned on the lights after locking the door.

"Nice place," Duo said, surveying the moderately expensive furniture.

"My sister does pretty well," Trowa said, leaning against the wall and watching Duo.

Duo looked at the posters on the walls – all from the various shows that Catherine had been in over the years.

"She a big Cirque fan?"

"She works for them."

"Oh cool. What does she do?"

"She's a performer."

Duo's eyes widened and he turned back to Trowa.

"No way? That's really cool. What show is she in now?"

"Ka. Over at MGM."

"Yeah – wow."

Trowa shrugged.

"She enjoys it. Want something to drink?"

"Um, yeah. Have any orange juice?"

"Should." Trowa left Duo in the living room and went into the kitchen to fetch them drinks.

When he returned Duo was lounging on the couch. He had removed his shoes and had one knee pulled up to his chest, the other leg resting under him.

Trowa passed him one of the glasses and then sat down beside Duo on the couch, keeping a comfortable distance between them.

After a few minutes spent drinking the juice and staring at anything but each other Duo sighed and put down the glass.

"Okay. Seriously, what's your deal?"

Trowa arched an eyebrow and set down his own glass.

"My deal?"

"Yeah. What's with you and this – you want to race, but you're a really talented artist, and you're smart, and why the hell are you interested in me and what's with this bad ass attitude when you've got all this and an awesome sister? Huh? I mean, it's like you're TRYING to throw it away or something."

Duo's incredibly accurate insight rocked Trowa. He hadn't realized he was that obvious to someone who was almost a complete stranger.

"I mean, what are you hoping will happen? Do you want to get sent to prison or something? Cuz, trust me, you wouldn't last long. Are you trying to break your sister's heart or what? You really – "

"How much of this is aimed at me and how much at your brother?"

Duo's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I guess you and Meilin have gotten pretty friendly, huh?'

"She told me some stuff about you," Trowa conceded.

"Yeah, well, don't change the subject. Look – are you interested in me?"

Trowa studied Duo's face, trying to figure out where this was going.

"Yes, it's sort of obvious, isn't it?"

"Then, look, I've already got enough silent, dangerous types in my life. You want to try to… have something – then you're going to have to talk. If you aren't interested in that, then fine." Duo's eyes were angry and challenging.

Trowa was never one to back down from a challenge.

"Okay. I'll talk."

"Then back to my first question – what the hell are you doing?"

"You already said it – I'm trying to throw away my life."

"Why? When you've actually got one?"

"I have the appearance of one, Duo. Yeah, I live with my 'awesome' sister now, but for the last ten years I've lived in foster homes and group homes on the other side of the country. I've spent the last ten years going to bed every night, hoping I would wake up and I'd be back with her. And now that I finally am – it's the same as everywhere else I've ever been. She's never here, we never talk, which I get is mostly my fault, but we don't have anything to talk about. Yeah, I like to race – and back in the city I was pretty damn good at it, but then, we didn't have the entire desert to race across. Yeah, I'm smart – but it doesn't matter because as much as I've moved around my grades and my school records are never going to get me into a decent college. And yeah, I can draw – again, it doesn't matter." Trowa drew a deep, angry breath. "Satisfied?"

"Um." Duo was speechless. "I didn't mean you had to tell me everything at one time," he joked weakly. Trowa glared.

"Okay, sorry. I just didn't think you would actually talk – not that much."

"Oh ye of so little faith."

"Yeah. Um. So – you sort of left out one part," Duo said, a daring grin on his face.

Trowa arched an eyebrow in challenge.

"You didn't say why you were interested in me."

"Apart from the fact that I'm somehow able to talk to you, you're attractive, and you… you challenge me."

"I challenge you?"

Trowa nodded once in agreement.

"Huh." Duo grinned. "I like that."

"I'm so glad," Trowa said dryly.

Duo cocked his head to one said, considering.

"You just told me a lot, you know."

"Yeah."

"You ever told anyone that stuff?"

"No."

"Good thing I got a recording then, this will make excellent blackmail."

Trowa scowled.

"So when are you going to stop using your humor as a shield?"

"Ah, well, I guess now would be a good time since it isn't working anymore." Duo offered a self-deprecating grin.

"So what's your deal? What are you doing hanging around Wufei and Heero? What are you doing with Heero?"

Now it was Duo who shrugged.

"Just the people I grew up with. Wufei and my brother knew each other – and I tagged along, and then Meilin did. And then Solo got arrested and Heero showed up at one of the parties and we… just hooked up, I guess."

"So, what do you two do?"

Duo shook his head, smirking slightly.

"We fuck, mostly. And I hang with him at races."

"And that's it?"

"What, you think, we're gonna go and have dinner and a movie every Friday? Heero's the future head of the NSA or something – he's not gonna be caught dead with a homo."

Trowa frowned.

"So you don't date? Or go to parties?"

"Um… no. That's what Relena's for."

"So you're for the illicit stuff."

"Yeah, guess I am."

"And you're okay with that?"

Duo suddenly stood and glared down at Trowa.

"Don't even start with that crap. I'm not some fucking victim here – accepting handouts."

"Fooled me," Trowa drawled, leaning back against the couch and stretching out his legs.

"Shut up. You know shit about me – or him. You start to follow Chang around like some freakin' go-fer and then you tell ME that I'm accepting handouts?"

"I prefer the term 'personal assistant.' Chang and I have a business relationship – I'm only his slave for as long as I need to be to pay him back for the car. You – you're getting nothing out of this."

Duo held up a finger and shook it.

"There I disagree. I get some pretty awesome sex out of it – and, you know, Heero's always had my back. Always will. So if all I get is racer-groupie and fuck-buddy, I'll take it."

Trowa blew out a breath in frustration. Reasoning with Duo was like boxing with a bear – you got nowhere and after a while you started to lose pretty badly.

"Okay. Fine. So you two aren't dating."

Duo looked exasperated.

"No. We aren't dating."

"Good. Then I'll pick you up Friday at seven."

"Huh?"

Trowa smirked at Duo's confused expression.

"Dinner and a movie," he explained.

"Um…"

"What? You force me to spill my guts and then you won't even go out on a date with me?"

Duo rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, you're fucked in head."

"Like you can talk." Trowa stood up now as well and took a few steps towards Duo.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are we on for our date?"

Duo groaned in frustration and then threw his hands up.

"Sure. Why not?"

Trowa closed then distance between them and kissed Duo. The shorter boy leaned into the kiss, one hand snaking up to grab the back of Trowa's neck. Trowa took the opportunity to wrap his arms around Duo's waist. The kiss continued and Duo's other hand trailed down Trowa's back to his ass, squeezing lightly. Trowa groaned and maneuvered them towards the couch, backing Duo down onto the cushions and covering the other boy's body with his own. Duo's hands were still on his ass, but were moving back up towards the waistband of his jeans. One hand eased upwards, under his shirt and Trowa groaned at the feel of Duo's hand on his back.

Meanwhile Trowa had one hand between them, steadily undoing the buttons on Duo's shirt and had finally managed to push it open, revealing a gray muscle shirt beneath it. He pulled away from Duo, who instinctively sat up, and Trowa pulled both shirts off of the other boy. Trowa got to enjoy looking over Duo's naked torso for only a moment before Duo was forcing his arms up and pulling off his own t-shirt. Hungrily they stared at each other. And then Duo was pushing Trowa towards the other end of the couch, straddling him and covering his mouth in hot, demanding kisses. Their hands tangled together as they reached for each other's bodies, the feeling of smooth, hard skin rubbing together driving them crazy.

And then Trowa's phone started to ring, vibrating in his pants pocket and, aside from being immensely annoying, creating a uniquely disturbing sensation.

"God damnit," Trowa cursed, pushing Duo away to grab for the phone, his first thought to turn it off. And then he saw the caller ID. It was Wufei.

Duo noticed his expression and sat back, still straddling Trowa but putting space between them.

"Yeah?" He answered.

"Busy?" Wufei's voice was amused.

Trowa refused to be baited.

"I've got work for you."

Trowa looked at the clock on the wall. It was already past nine – which meant he would probably be done with "work" by two. Again.

"Wufei –"

"Go to the trailer. You remember the address. They've got a package that you need to deliver to Treize."

"And then?"

"And then we've got a race."

"Tonight?"

"Don't tell me you've already lost your nerve."

Trowa rolled his eyes at the mockery in Wufei's voice.

"Fine. I'm leaving now."

"Good. Same place as last time."

"Right." Trowa thumbed the phone off and stared up at Duo. Indigo eyes were no longer hazy, but instead had sharpened with interest at what he had heard.

"There's a race tonight?" Duo shrugged.

"Nobody told me yet."

"Well?"

"What?"

"You going?"

Duo smirked. "I think I'd rather stay here with you – but I figure that you're on your way out, right?"

Trowa trailed one hand across Duo's bare stomach, tracing the muscles underneath the tanned flesh. Duo leaned back and moaned softly at the touch. And then he was gone in one smooth movement, standing beside the couch and pulling on his shirts.

After a moment Trowa followed his lead, sitting up and pulling back on his t-shirt.

"Guess I'll see you there?" Trowa said as they left the apartment.

Duo gave him a smirk.

"Wouldn't miss it. This is my chance to see if you can survive, huh?"

"And win." Trowa kissed him one more time before jogging across the street to find the Charger.

* * *

Trowa made it out to the trailer in record time. The guys greeted him and forced a soda and turkey sandwich out of the door with him, so Trowa tried to concentrate on eating while he drove instead of the fact that he was about to go through a National Guard checkpoint with two kilos of cocaine tucked under his seat. Coming out to the trailer was always easy – the Guard only checked people coming IN to Vegas through the Hoover Dam, which, unfortunately, Trowa now was.

The line was short this late at night, and all too soon Trowa was pulling to a stop in front of the uniforms, a flashlight blinding him.

"Evening," he said.

"License and registration, please."

Trowa rooted in the glove compartment for the registration – Wufei had thoughtfully put the Charger in his name on the fake registration, with the understanding that if Trowa tried anything he'd be killed. Talk about job security, Trowa thought to himself as the Guard looked over the papers.

He took a considerable time going through the two pieces of paper, and then shined the flashlight into the empty backseat. At last he passed the papers and his license back.

"Thanks, have a good night."

The Guard grunted in response and waved him onward with the flashlight. Trowa gratefully drove away into the night, and it wasn't until he had crossed the bridge over the dam that he was able to breathe easier.

Thirty minutes later he was making his way towards the back of Treize's favorite casino, the cocaine stuffed into his coat pocket and his fake ID at the ready. It would be just his luck to get arrested here after making it through the checkpoint.

He was ushered into the back room where Treize, Zechs, and the still unknown woman sat. Heero was with them. Again. Almost without fail, whenever Trowa picked up a package, Heero was there to give him shit.

"Ah, Trowa…" Treize reached across the table for the bundles of cocaine, surprising Trowa. Usually Une handled the goods while Treize just sat back and watched, vaguely amused by all that occurred around him.

He nodded a greeting to the man and passed over the plastic wrapped powder, anxious to have it out of his hands.

"So. How have you enjoyed your first taste as Chang's runner?"

Treize didn't seem particularly interested in Trowa's answer, but the fact that he asked the question at all meant something: he wasn't really one for idle chit-chat.

"It pays," he hedged. Which wasn't exactly a lie. Chang wasn't paying him – but his mother was, whenever she called he ran the occasional, late night flower deliveries and was allowed to keep the tips, as well as an hourly salary. It wasn't much, but it was something. And Chang hadn't had him killed – it was a bad position to be in, but he'd been in worse. Well, he hadn't… but he knew it could all get rapidly, and considerably, worse.

"Hm. Enough to buy him a new Skyline?" The hint of amusement had been replaced by a patronizing smirk.

"We'll see," Trowa responded, wondering where the hell this was going.

"Good night, Trowa." Treize waved a hand in dismissal and Trowa took the cue. He turned to leave, and Heero took that as HIS cue. He rose to follow Trowa.

Trowa was getting tired of this passive-aggressive bullshit from him. At school Heero would glare at him – and at Duo – and then whenever they met at the casino Heero was anxious to rub it in Trowa's face that Duo was still with him, not Trowa. And then he heaped on whatever insults he had spent his free-time thinking up.

Predictably, as soon as they were outside Heero shoved him up against the hood of the Charger.

"Yes?" Trowa turned a sardonic look on the shorter, though stronger, boy.

"When are you going to learn, Barton?"

Trowa didn't know what he was referring to – and he wasn't going to ask a leading question to give Heero satisfaction, so he just raised his eyebrows and adopted a look of supreme indifference.

"I hope you enjoy the race tonight – maybe next time I'll give you the chance to humiliate yourself again."

Which meant nothing to Trowa outside the fact that Heero wasn't coming and that Duo had obviously called Heero. Which frustrated Trowa to no end.

"Then I'll try my hardest to stay alive tonight," Trowa muttered. He shoved Heero out of the way and opened the driver door to the Charger, hoping it would catch Heero in the side. It didn't – the other boy quickly and smoothly stepped out of the way.

* * *

"You're playing with fire," Wufei warned that night after watching Trowa smirk at Duo across the race line.

"Don't know what you're talking about."

"He belongs to Yuy," Wufei explained.

"He doesn't belong to anyone. Besides, we've got a date this Friday."

"A date?"

"Dinner and a movie."

"Barton, you need to have your head examined. But first, you need to beat this kid. This race is for slips and the kid's got a Spider."

"Just the two of us?"

"No, it's four in – don't know who the other two are yet."

Trowa nodded and approached the race-line.

The "kid" was a blonde guy who looked barely old enough to be in high-school, much less have his driver's license.

Trowa saluted him with two fingers in greeting as he walked past.

"Hi!" The kid said, too enthusiastic. Trowa stopped and walked back to him.

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

Trowa arched an eyebrow.

"I am – do you want to see my license?"

"No." Trowa started to head off again.

"It's my first race," the blonde volunteered, and Trowa walked back again.

"Let me ask you something, kid, how –"

"Quatre, my name is Quatre."

Trowa waved a hand in dismissal.

"Sure. Quatre, how much money do you have, exactly?"

"On me?"

"No, to spend on your next car after you lose this one tonight."

Quatre's face flushed.

"Hey! I know I'm inexperienced but that doesn't mean I can't –"

"You're way out of your league. Most of –"

"Tro, good to see you making new friends," Duo called out as he approached the two.

The blonde looked grateful for the interruption and Trowa turned to glare at the braided man.

"Duo Maxwell," he said, holding out his hand.

"Quatre Winner," the blonde said, shaking Duo's hand.

Duo nodded.

"He introduced himself yet?" He jerked a finger in Trowa's direction.

"No."

"Trowa Barton. He's a general bad-ass. Although, I'll let you in on a secret – "

"Duo."

"A week ago, he totaled some guy's car in his first race – couldn't even beat a grandma on a tricycle, he drove so badly."

Trowa growled, then pushed Duo ahead of him.

"We gotta go."

"You know," Duo mussed. "I think that kid might have a chance of beating… well, maybe he could beat Heero's kid sister."

"He has a kid sister?"

"Um… I think his Mom's pregnant again. I dunno," Duo offered a shrug and turned a grin to Trowa.

"So, gonna actually finish this race?"

Trowa snorted in disgust, taking in his opponents, sparing the blonde kid yet another look.

"If I don't it'll be because I had a heart attack behind the wheel."

"Hm." Duo leaned close, his lips near Trowa's ear. "Well, just remember – put your foot on the gas when you want to go."

"Thank you for that lesson, oh master of wisdom."

Duo chuckled.

"Alright, let's see what you've learned, hm?"

Duo sauntered back to the sidelines and Trowa got into his car, feeling a thrill of excitement at the chance to race. At the chance to win.

Meilin had decided to do the honors tonight, standing on the right side of the road and holding her arms high.

"Ready," she called out, a wicked grin on her face.

Trowa placed one hand on the wheel, the other on the gear shift.

"G –"

The roar of sirens overrode her voice. Trowa looked immediately into his rearview mirror and saw the flash of red and white lights.

"Shit!"

* * *

A/N: Yeah, it's a cliffhanger, and I'm really sorry – but I'll post the next part soon. In the meantime, comfort yourselves with eggnog and… other holiday things. 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: My apologies for so long to update. And my further apologies for this chapter being so freakin' long. It just didn't want to end and I didn't feel like going back to edit it into two chapters…

* * *

Ready 4/?

The sirens were ripping through the night air and the flash of the lights in his rearview mirror practically blinded Trowa.

Something thumped against the hood of his car.

Trowa looked up and saw Meilin sliding across. She landed on her feet on the other side and ripped open the passenger door.

"Go!" She commanded.

Trowa took a second to look around – all of the other driver's were pulling away, tires squealing and dirt kicking up as everyone raced away.

"Trowa! Gas! Now!" Meilin punched him in the shoulder.

Still he kept one hand on the clutch, looking – until he finally spotted Duo as the braided boy dove into the open passenger side window of Quatre Winner's car.

As soon as he saw Duo's feet hanging out of the window he threw the car into gear and sped away into the dark, headlights illuminating the desert before them.

"Turn off the road!" Meilin commanded. She was perched on the edge of her seat, one hand on Trowa's headrest, her head turned and focused on their pursuit.

"Where?!" Trowa shot back, irritated at having her direct him when he had no idea what to do.

"Anywhere! Wait." She turned back around for a moment, eyes narrowed as she tried to focus on where they were. "Okay, stay on this road for a quarter mile, then we'll cross over a wash – go over the bridge and then cut back around and we'll drive north through it."

"This is fucking crazy," Trowa muttered, but he put more pressure on the gas pedal.

"I can't believe this is happening." Meilin had resumed her watch over through the rear windshield.

Silently Trowa agreed. This was just too ridiculous, in his mind. He really, really regretted answering Wufei's call. If he hadn't….

He pushed the thought from his mind just as the lights illuminated the wash ahead.

He managed to spin the car around just over the bridge and a brief, bumpy jolt later they were tearing down the concrete valley headed north.

"Kill the lights," Meilin instructed.

"You're insane!" But he did as instructed.

He chanced a look in the rearview mirror and saw three cruisers cross the bridge, pursuing whatever cars had gone ahead of Trowa and Meilin. One of the cruisers followed them down the wash.

"Shit."

"Don't sweat it. Just keep us alive and we'll be able to lose him. We go under another bridge in two miles. Take it and head back west."

"How the hell will I know where it is?"

"You've got a speedometer, Barton. Christ."

The next few minutes were tense, but Trowa managed to find the bridge and cut through the soft dirt until he found the road again, lights still off. Behind them the cruiser kept driving down the wash.

"That was ridiculous," Trowa said after Meilin had deemed it safe to turn the headlights back on.

"You act like you've never been caught by the cops."

"I haven't."

Meilin shot him a disbelieving look.

"Then why the hell did you get shipped out here?"

Trowa snorted. "Because I DIDN'T get caught by the cops last time. This shit was supposed to be a reward for my 'good behavior.'"

"Who the hell thought it was a good idea to send you to LAS VEGAS?"

Trowa smirked, sharing in Meilin's amusement.

"Where are we headed?" He asked after a moment of driving.

"Back to the garage – Wufei did take you there, right?"

"Yeah. Shit – where's Wufei?"

"His car was one of the first to leave," Meilin said, voice bitter.

Trowa decided not to comment.

They drove for another ten minutes before they came back to the freeway entrance. Two squad cars sat by the on ramp, lights flashing.

"What the –" Meilin started.

"Do you have your license?"

"Yeah."

"Not your fake ID?"

"Both."

"Make sure you hand over your real one. We need to be high school students for this."

"Why?"

"Trust me. I've learned the best way to get through these checkpoints."

Which was true – his experiences running cocaine and money back and forth over the Hoover Damn had given him ample opportunity to perfect the 'stupid teenager' role.

The cops waved them to a stop and Trowa rolled down the window.

"License and registration." The cop shined a light into the car, directly into both Meilin and Trowa's eyes. Trowa was momentarily grateful that the race hadn't had a pre-game party: a DUI would not make this night any better.

Trowa reached across Meilin to the glove compartment.

"You kids are out late," the cop said.

"I KNOW," Meilin muttered, loud enough for the cop to hear. Trowa chanced a look up at her, but she was glaring down at him.

He quickly grabbed the registration and passed it as well as his license to the cop.

"I was supposed to be home by midnight. But SOMEONE thought it would be a good idea to try and –"

"Christ, I said I was SORRY." Trowa glared back at her.

"Yeah. So what am I going to tell my dad when you get me home an hour late? Sorry, my boyfriend thought it would be fun to –"

"Meilin. Seriously. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

The cop snorted, obviously amused by their situation. He passed the documents back to Trowa.

"You two be careful on the roads – some punks were street-racing tonight."

Meilin muttered something under her breath.

The cop just shook his head and waved them on.

Trowa rolled up the window just in time – Meilin dissolved into laughter as soon as he pulled away.

"That was great."

"Yeah. Almost getting arrested is one of my favorite pass-times," Trowa said dryly.

"Oh lighten up. We're in the clear."

But even Meilin was silent for the rest of the drive to the garage, scowling out the window.

* * *

The main door to the garage was open, but only dim lights were on inside.

Trowa pulled in slowly and killed the ignition. There were already three cars inside – one easily recognizable as Wufei's. The other two Trowa recognized from the group of cars that had led the way clearing out.

He was mildly anxious that Quatre and Duo weren't present.

Meilin's door opened and seconds later slammed closed. Trowa could feel the tension in the air increase as Wufei turned away from the small group he had been addressing and turned to Meilin.

Trowa fought his immediate instinct to get back in the car, throw it in reverse, and drive as far away from these people as possible. The crack of Meilin's palm against Wufei's face splintered the air. Trowa winced but Wufei stood there, completely stoic.

"You left me there." Her words were quiet but filled with enough anger that Wufei seemed to lean back. Trowa glared over at the group of teen-aged boys lurking by their cars. They caught his look and backed further into the garage. Trowa kept his own distance from the couple, but leaned against the hood of his car.

"Trowa had you." Wufei jerked his head in Trowa's direction.

Meilin wasn't easily put off.

"Yeah. AFTER you had already pulled away. Did it not occur to you that I was just as much –"

Her words were drowned out by the squeal of tires as a silver Spider pulled into the garage.

Duo bounded out of the passenger side of the new car before it had even made a complete stop.

"You guys good?" He asked Trowa, slightly breathless.

Trowa nodded.

"Great. We lost them in the desert. This kid's actually not bad – he drove circles around the cops."

Trowa raised his eyebrow, curious.

"Ow!"

Duo and Trowa turned to see the blonde driver of the Spider being physically hauled from the car and pushed over the hood by one of the heavily tattooed lurkers.

"Hey!" Duo crossed to the group forming around the driver.

The lurker punched Quatre and even Trowa was galvanized into action. He and Duo pushed their way through the group and pulled the lurker off of Quatre. Duo put himself in front of Quatre while Trowa shoved several of the boys farther away.

"What the fuck?" Duo demanded.

"He's the one who told the cops!"

"Asshole!"

There was another surge but Trowa pushed them back again.

"Why the hell do you think this kid called the cops?" Duo was glaring at the group with a mixture of anger and confusion.

"Because," Wufei said as he walked over, "he was the only new person tonight. The only one we weren't one hundred percent sure of."

Duo rolled his eyes.

"Right. Ever consider that it might be someone you trust – like maybe even Barton? – or that it was just random, dumb luck?"

Wufei and Trowa both scowled. Duo shrugged apologetically at Trowa.

"I doubt it was random coincidence." Wufei sighed and jerked his head at Quatre. "Well?"

"Well what? I got a call from Tim and he told me that if I wanted to race to show up. I did. And then the cops showed up. I did not call them." There was the force of conviction behind Quatre's words.

Wufei frowned, considering.

"Wallet."

Quatre frowned.

"What?"

"Give me your wallet."

"No!"

Duo turned, muttered something to Quatre.

"No," the blonde repeated.

Trowa was getting tired of running interference between the group and the blonde and so he turned around, pushed the blonde back against the car, and dug through his pockets until he found his wallet. Without looking inside he tossed it in Wufei's direction.

The blonde looked ready to kill.

"Subtle and smooth, Barton," Duo muttered, but a grin was tugging up the corners of his mouth.

"Hm."

Trowa turned and saw Wufei looking over at Quatre, a speculative look in his eyes.

"What?" Quatre demanded, pushing away from both Duo and Trowa to cross to Wufei. He stood in front of the slightly taller Asian man, radiating anger.

"Nothing." Wufei passed the wallet back without further comment.

Quatre took it and shoved it into his back pocket.

"Nothing for now, right? This going to come back later or –"

Quatre's words were cut off by Wufei's low voice.

"I said nothing. I meant nothing will happen. I give you my word."

Quatre frowned and then shrugged, but it was clear he remained unconvinced.

"Fine. Satisfied that it wasn't me?"

Wufei smirked and then turned back to his lackeys.

"It wasn't the kid."

They grumbled and dispersed, most getting back into their cars and leaving. A few walked outside, presumably to wherever their own cars were parked.

When the crowd was gone Meilin turned to Quatre.

"Mind if I hitch a ride?"

The blonde frowned, uneasy.

"I'll drive you home," Wufei said, voice weary.

"No. I don't want a ride from you."

"Meilin –"

"Wufei. Leave me the hell alone right now."

"Mei, I'll drive you," Duo said.

She looked between Duo and Quatre and shrugged.

"Thanks, Duo."

"See you tomorrow," Duo said to Trowa as he walked past. He stopped by Quatre and put a hand on his arm. "See ya around. Good driving."

"Thanks Duo," Quatre smiled slightly at Duo as the braided boy and Meilin left the garage. He then quickly got into his own car and drove away, clearly uneasy being left alone with Wufei and Trowa.

As soon as they were left alone Wufei turned to Trowa.

"Was it you?"

"Hell no. If I was going to sell you out to the cops I would have done it the first time you had me run coke for you."

Wufei nodded in agreement.

"I thought so. I had to ask, after Duo –"

"Duo was trying to protect Quatre."

"I realize that."

"Heero wasn't at the race tonight."

"Maybe he hadn't heard about it."

"He had. He was at Treize's. We talked."

Wufei rolled his eyes.

"And by talked you mean that the two of you almost killed each other again."

Trowa's lips tightened.

"If you're looking for an informer – look in his direction."

"Barton, I get that you're attracted to Duo. But –"

"This has nothing to do with Duo. I don't trust Heero."

"He's worked for Treize for two years. Treize trusts him."

"And you trust Treize?"

"I respect him."

Trowa snorted.

"Fine. Whatever."

Trowa turned away and walked back to his car.

"I'm taking Friday night off," he called over his shoulder.

"Enjoy your date," was Wufei's sarcastic reply.

* * *

The next day at school Meilin was still angry and sat by herself for their first two classes, muttering about how stupid and arrogant men were. Duo and Trowa often exchanged amused glances behind her back until Meilin turned, catching them during Calculus. She shoved her book (all thirty pounds of it) off her desk and onto Duo's foot, causing the braided man to curse loudly. The entire class turned to stare at them, but Meilin gave the instructor and innocent smile and bland look. Duo and Trowa refrained from looking at each other again until the lunch break.

They took their usual spot and sat in silence for several minutes, both afraid to provoke Meilin.

Eventually she sighed.

"I just don't understand why he didn't even think about me."

"I'm sure he thought about you," Duo said.

Meilin glared at him and he shrugged.

"Seriously. He probably saw how close you were to Trowa and just assumed that Trowa would take care of you."

Duo's logic sounded weak to Trowa, and Meilin seemed to agree.

"Duo, why the hell are you taking his side?"

"I'm not taking his fucking side! I'm just SAYING –"

"Whatever. I'm over it." Meilin leaned back, still angry and clearly not over it.

"Hey – isn't that the kid?"

Trowa followed Duo's pointed finger and saw a blonde making his way across the quad, looking lost and anxious.

"It is him," Duo said to himself and bounded off to track down the boy.

Meilin and Trowa shared a look of amusement as they watched Duo return, the blonde in tow and looking extremely reluctant to join them.

"Hey guys, guess who just transferred?"

"Hi," Quatre said, standing uneasily.

Duo sat back down beside Trowa and patted the ground beside him.

After a moment Quatre took the hint and sat down.

"Quat just got here – but I looked at his schedule and we've got a lot of classes together."

Duo continued on his monologue for the rest of lunch, eventually drawing Quatre into conversation, while Trowa and Meilin remained silent. Meilin was no doubt still reflecting on the failures of Wufei.

But Trowa had spotted Heero walking across the quad with a blonde girl hanging onto him. He scowled, thinking about his conversations with Duo and recognizing the girl, Relena, from some of their classes.

He knew that Wufei thought he was being a jealous asshole – and maybe he was – but there was something about Heero that Trowa didn't like and didn't trust.

The lunch bell rang, disrupting his dark thoughts.

As they got up to leave Duo grabbed Trowa's sleeve.

"Hey, we're still on for Friday, right?"

Duo was grinning at him, a devilish gleam in his eyes.

Trowa rolled his own eyes.

"Of course. You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Duo's grin widened.

"Good. I'm looking forward to it." Duo gave him a suggestive leer and then walked ahead with Quatre.

Trowa shook his head and followed, amused by Duo and also bemused by the quick friendship he seemed to have struck between himself and Quatre.

* * *

When Trowa got home that afternoon Catherine was in the living room watching television. As soon as he walked in she looked up, a serious expression on her face, and turned it off.

Trowa mentally sighed – he knew that look. Catherine was clearly in the mood to give him a lecture about something. Warily he dropped his backpack by the door and sat down in the armchair beside the couch, silently waiting.

Catherine frowned, clearly not expecting his seeming cooperation.

"Trowa," she started. "Trowa, I know that I'm not here that often and I just – is everything okay with you? How is school? Do you have any friends yet? How is work going? I – I'm really trying here, Trowa, but I just don't know how to get through to you. It just seems like you aren't my brother anymore. You're almost a stranger to me."

"I haven't lived with you in ten years. I am a stranger."

"I know that! And I'm trying to get things back to the way they were, but I –"

"Catherine. Our parents are dead. Things will never be like they were."

Her eyes filled with tears.

"Trowa, I know, but I want us to be a family again. You're my kid brother and I love you. I just want to… I want to be part of your life, and it feels like you live here… like a guest or something."

"Catherine, I see you for two hours every day – if that. I don't think you can build a relationship based on that much interaction."

"I know. I – look, tomorrow is my day off. When you get home from school let's go out and do something."

"I'll probably have to work."

"Well, why don't I go to work with you? You're delivering flowers, right? I'll just –"

"No. No way." Catherine leaned back, shocked by the vehemence in his voice. "Mrs. Chang was very specific that she doesn't want her drivers to spend the night cruising around with their friends. I'm not going to get fired from this job."

"Okay. I understand. What if… I'll cook dinner! I'll make that soup you like so much." Catherine seemed immensely pleased with herself. Trowa shrugged.

"Sure."

"Good. Oh – Trowa, why don't you come see the show on Friday night and we can hang out after that?"

Trowa frowned.

"Catherine –"

"I know you saw it three times last year when you came to visit, but we've got some new guys in it now and I think you'd really enjoy it. Please?"

Catherine's eyes were pleading.

"I've sort of got plans already."

Catherine's eyes gleamed.

"A date?"

Trowa shot her a glare.

"Oh! That's so exciting. Why don't you bring him! I'm sure he would have a great time. Has he ever seen the show before?"

Trowa frowned, remembering how impressed Duo had been that Catherine worked for Cirque.

"I don't think he has…"

"Great! I'll get you two tickets for the second show, okay?"

"Cathy – "

"And you can bring him to the party afterwards. Everyone wants to see you again, and Etienne –"

"Fine. We'll go see the show. Thanks." Trowa pushed himself up and grabbed his backpack. He hated hearing about Etienne and Catherine never seemed to get the hint.

He went into his room and shut the door. After a moment of angry indecision he decided to do his homework – no doubt Wufei would have him driving across the desert again tonight and Trowa hadn't had much chance to work on anything yesterday.

* * *

Friday night Trowa drove over the garage after having spent two hours going through his closet trying to find something to wear. He knew he was being an idiot – but he wanted to impress Duo and he wanted to stand out from the acrobats if they were going to the party after the show. It was hard enough to compete with Heero, but if they were in a room full of the performers Trowa was convinced that Duo would quickly lose interest in him and be attracted to one of the more interesting men. Like Etienne. He finally settled on his darkest, tightest jeans paired with a black button-up.

When he arrived at the garage some mechanics were still working, although it appeared that they were tuning their personal cars instead of working on clients cars. Trowa grinned slightly. The garage was constantly humming with activity and he felt comfortable there. He wondered if Howard would give him a job…

He walked through the mechanics and to the back of the garage, where a staircase led to a loft above the work space. Duo had told him that he and Howard lived up there in an apartment.

When knocking on the door had no response Trowa let himself into the apartment.

"Hello?" He called.

"Oh fuck. Damnit – hang on!"

Trowa stepped inside and closed the door. A moment later Duo appeared, dressed in only his boxer-briefs and a pair of socks. Trowa fought to keep his jaw from dropping. He had seen Duo without a shirt before, but he had somehow missed the dragon tattoo on Duo's left hip. And Duo's attire left little to the imagination.

"Um – Trowa? My face is up here." There was amusement in Duo's voice and Trowa jerked his gaze upwards to see the braided man smirking. Trowa flushed.

"Sorry about not being ready – you said there was a change of plans. But you didn't say what kind. I mean – is this going to be a casual thing or…?"

"Sort of casual, but… dress-casual?"

Duo chuckled.

"Okay. That I can do. Have a seat and make yourself comfortable. I'll be ready in five."

Duo disappeared back into his room and Trowa sat down on the edge of the couch. He looked around at the sparsely furnished apartment. There was little decoration and all of the furniture was well-worn. He looked over at a bookcase under a window overlooking the garage. On top of the bookshelf were several framed photographs. Trowa got up from the couch and walked over to look at them.

They were all pictures of Duo – half of them featured Duo and a boy that looked like an older blonde version of Duo. The pictures showed a variety of Duos – from probably seven up until a more recent Duo. All of them showed a smiling, goofy version. There was an ease and contentment in the photos that Trowa rarely saw. That realization made him frown – it wasn't that Duo was unhappy around Trowa, it was that the braided boy was rarely, genuinely content with his life. The only times that Trowa had seen Duo look as happy and as confident as he appeared in the pictures was in their shared art class or when they were driving out in the desert.

"Hey, hey. Ready to go?" Duo was back.

Trowa turned around and had to smirk. Duo looked great. He had on a faded pair of fitted jeans, a Superman t-shirt, and a navy blazer with thin pin stripes.

"You look good."

"Thanks," Duo grinned. "Sorry I didn't say it before, but you do too."

Trowa nodded at the compliment.

"Alright, let's hit the road."

Duo led the way out of the apartment and clamored down the stairs, taking them two at a time. Several of the mechanics looked up at the racket.

"Hot date?" One of them taunted.

"You betcha," Duo shot back, grabbing Trowa's hand when they reached the bottom of the stairs.

Several of the mechanics gave catcalls. Trowa resisted the urge to jerk away from Duo and allowed himself to be teased alongside Duo as they made their way through the garage and towards the Charger.

At last they were in the safety of the car.

"Sorry about that," Duo muttered as he put on his seatbelt.

Trowa arched an eyebrow.

"They're family – they feel it's their right to give me shit."

"Hm."

"So… where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

"Ah, good." Duo put his hands behind his head and leaned back. "I like surprises."

Trowa drove them out of Henderson and towards Tropicana Avenue and the Strip.

"Where are we eating?" Duo asked as they turned onto Tropicana.

"Thought we'd eat at our pizza place."

"Our pizza place? That sounds nice."

Trowa pulled into the parking lot and together they walked into the restaurant.

Dinner was good – Duo was always more interested in eating than talking when food was in front of him, but he still managed to make conversation around bites of pizza. After dinner Duo started pestering him again as to where they were going next.

"We're going towards the Strip… wait, we're not going to see a movie, right? What –"

"Just wait," Trowa said, smirking at Duo's impatience.

"Fine, fine. I'll just sit here, confused and lost."

"Stop being so dramatic."

"Hey, I'm not the one in a drama class."

"I dropped that."

"Oh yeah? Why?"

"I see no reason to be graded on my ability to impersonate an ice cream cone."

Duo made a choking noise and Trowa looked over in alarm. A second later the braided boy was doubled over, laughing hysterically.

"I'm sorry," Duo managed after he was able to breath again, "I just – I was trying to imagine you – you must have looked so stupid."

"Thanks. I did."

Trowa pulled into the parking deck at the MGM Grand and Duo turned to him with raised eyebrows.

"What's up, man?"

"We're going in here."

"To see the lions?"

"They're already in for the night."

"Then…"

"Just wait. Patience is a virtue."

Duo rolled his eyes.

"Like I have ANY virtues. Much less patience."

Trowa smirked as he considered the truth to that statement.

"C'mon." Trowa led the way from the car and into MGM's main lobby. Duo followed, looking around them and obviously still trying to figure out what was going on.

"Hey – are we – Tro, tell me you didn't spring for tickets to see KA."

Trowa snorted.

"Duo, I like you a lot, but I get paid next to nothing. There's no way I could afford front row seats to KA."

Duo cocked his head to one side as he considered the words.

"Um…"

"But since my sister offered to give me two comp seats…"

"No way! We're going to see KA?!"

Trowa had to grin at Duo's excitement. Duo was practically skipping beside him.

"Jesus, I can't take you anywhere." Trowa softened the words with a slight smile and Duo grinned back at him.

"This is amazing! I've never seen a show on the Strip before."

"Really? I thought you'd lived in Las Vegas for a while."

"Yeah. Five years. Doesn't mean I've got the time or the money or the company to come and see a show."

Trowa frowned.

"You really need to go out on more dates."

Duo snorted.

"This is my first one. Keep it up and I won't need to go out with anyone else."

"Am I in competition with someone other than Heero?" Trowa demanded in mock anger.

"Naw… still, this is nice. Dinner, great show –"

"Don't say that until after you've seen it," Trowa warned.

Duo rolled his eyes.

"I've seen the previews on tv – if even just those parts are great it's going to be awesome."

"It's more than awesome," Trowa assured him as they approached the will-call.

He collected the tickets and passed one over to Duo.

Duo glanced down at the ticket.

"You weren't kidding – we really are in the front row. Tro, aren't these tickets almost two-hundred dollars?"

"Yeah, if we were paying for them. Come on, let's go in, the pre-show starts soon."

"Pre-show?"

"You'll see."

Trowa led Duo inside and once again smiled when Duo gasped.

"Wow. This is…"

"This is just the theatre. Wait til you see the show."

"Wait – you mean there's more? I thought we just walked through."

Trowa rolled his eyes and tugged on Duo's hand, leading them down the aisles and to the front.

Duo sat down but was hardly still. He kept spinning around in his seat to examine the theatre and the performers that started to swing in.

"This is great," Duo said as the lights started to dim.

"Yeah," but Trowa's voice lacked the excitement that Duo's radiated.

Several performers were now patrolling the edge of the orchestra, preparing for the 'no cell phones' bit at the beginning of the show. One of the performers, a tall, lean man with long, dark hair scowled in their direction. He caught Trowa's eye and winked.

Trowa swallowed and looked away as Etienne passed them.

"Did he just wink at you?" Duo asked.

"Yeah."

"Huh. Do I need to be jealous?"

Trowa shot him a patronizing look.

"Hardly. Now hush – it's starting."

Duo subsided and sat back further in his seat.

* * *

Trowa found himself watching Duo more than the actual show. Duo constantly shifted to the edge of his seat, attempting to get even closer to the action and his eyes were perpetually wide. Trowa pointed out Catherine when his sister made her first appearance and Duo grinned before becoming completely immersed in the action again. When the fight scenes grew intense so did Duo – his body stiffened and he was almost out of his seat every time one of the performers fell from the moving platform down into the pit.

By the time the show was over Duo looked exhausted – he had thoroughly enjoyed it, judging from the expression in his eyes – but so much personal investment in it was clearly new for him.

"That was…."

They had remained seated while the rest of the audience crowded the exits.

"Yeah. First time I saw it I couldn't even try to think about it. If we see it again you should try to focus on trying to figure out the tricks – like the wires, or the platform movements."

"Dude, there's nothing to figure out, it's magic."

Trowa chuckled.

"So you liked it."

"Liked it? I loved it! That was amazing! I've never seen anything like that – it was – "

"Pure spectacle without a plot."

"Well, yeah. But people fell ninety feet! And then jumped back in! Plus your sister is totally hot."

Trowa punched him in the arm.

"Ow! She is. I think maybe I've picked the wrong Barton."

Trowa rolled his eyes.

"My sister is definitely not 'graced with the perfection of the male form' and her name isn't Barton."

"Huh. Well… can YOU bend like that?" Duo turned a speculative look in Trowa's direction.

"My entire family were acrobats. I was taking gymnastics classes before I could walk."

"I'll take that as a yes. So, what are you doing later 'cuz I've got a huge bed and I'd love to see you –"

"Trowa!"

They turned to see Catherine standing by one of the fire exits, waving at them. Trowa lifted one hand in acknowledgement.

"Come on back. It's going to be a few minutes before we're ready to go to the party."

"Party?" Duo asked as they got up from their seats.

"Yeah, this after party. We don't have to go for long, but everyone's been asking about me and…"

"It's cool. I'd love the chance to meet these people."

Which had been Trowa's greatest fear.

The party was, predictably, at Etienne's house. Trowa followed Catherine's car through traffic. Duo was still brimming with excitement, especially after his brief backstage tour.

"That pit is so freaking deep! And those mats! It must take… Trowa, I'm really insanely jealous of you. I think I'd watch that every night if I had the chance."

"They're always looking for interns," Trowa said, a little grumpily.

"Really? What does an intern do for them?"

"Mop the sweat and sweep the floors."

"Hm. But I'd get to stare at them naked, right?"

Trowa glared at him but Duo continued to look thoughtful.

"Some of those guys were hot…"

"Duo."

"Huh?"

"Am I going to have to listen to this all night?"

"Just until you kiss me again."

So Trowa risked a wreck and leaned over to pull Duo into a brief, searing kiss.

"That's better," Duo said, grinning as he pushed Trowa back to the driver's side. "Just don't kill us or get us arrested."

A few minutes later they were pulling to a stop across the street from Etienne's. A lot of the crew were already there and Trowa drew in a deep breath. He would honestly rather be anywhere than here.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. It's been a while since I've seen these people."

"So?"

"So I'm not… nevermind. Let's go inside."

"Trowa –"

"It's nothing."

Duo got out of the car, frowning slightly, and came around to his side.

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Trowa joined him and they walked across the road and up to the front door.

Trowa knocked and a moment later the door swung open to reveal Etienne dressed in jeans and a tight t-shirt that showed off his impressive physique. The wig he wore during the show was gone, revealing his short, dark hair.

"Trowa!" He pulled the boy into a hug and kissed him. Trowa instantly stiffened at the contact, but Etienne held them together for several seconds before finally releasing him. There was a teasing smirk on Etienne's face when they finally pulled apart.

Duo was looking at him with wide eyes but Trowa avoided making eye contact.

"Who is this?" Etienne's voice still had a slight accent to it – Trowa had once found that attractive and he wondered if Duo did.

"Duo Maxwell, friend of Trowa's." Duo held out his hand, clearly not wanting the same greeting that Trowa had just received.

Etienne shook Duo's hand.

"And how has our Trowa been doing?" He asked, going for a conspiratorial voice.

"Our Trowa's been just fine," Duo assured Etienne. His voice and face were now slightly guarded and Trowa started to pray for some natural disaster – an earthquake, a flood, a volcanic eruption. Anything that would make this end before it got too out of hand.

"Well, come in, come in." Etienne gestured Duo inside and put one arm around Trowa's shoulders to propel him inside. He leaned close and his hand drifted down to Trowa's waist. "You look good, Trowa – you've definitely grown since I last saw you." Etienne's gaze was filled with heat and Trowa was torn between the desire to find a bathroom and the urge to punch the man who had taken his virginity.

"Eti! Stop fondling my brother in public!" Catherine had finally left her car to join the party. Trowa took the chance to twist out of Etienne's grasp and turned a grateful look towards his sister. But Catherine was grinning and winked in his direction.

Trowa wanted out – he wanted away from these people and he wanted away from Duo's accusing glare. He almost wanted to be back in New York.

"Gonna introduce me to anyone else?" Duo asked. "I'm not sure how up for this I am anymore. Watching you get mauled in public isn't exactly my idea of a good time, yanno."

Trowa looked up at the irritation in Duo's voice. Duo jerked his head in Etienne's direction.

"Who is that guy and why does he feel the need to harass you, huh?" Duo spoke quietly so they weren't overheard. Trowa took his arm and led him deeper into the house – away from Etienne and towards the rest of the performers.

"It's a long story. Later."

"Right. But, just so we're clear – are you planning on leaving with me tonight or do I need to find another ride?"

Trowa looked at him with exasperation.

"You're kidding, right? Why the hell wouldn't I leave with you? Aside from everything else – you're the only person here worth spending time with, much less worth seeing naked."

"What, you think one date gets you a spot in my bed?"

"You're the one who wanted me to come over and show off my flexibility."

Duo flushed as he remembered that comment – no doubt he had been thinking something dirty.

"That's true. Let's put in the mandatory hour and then get out of here." Duo reached out and took Trowa's hand. He gave it a firm squeeze and then let go, walking towards the other people at the party. Trowa shook his head, amazed at Duo's equilibrium, and followed.

* * *

Trowa managed to avoid Etienne and his sister for nearly half an hour. Duo had fallen in quickly and easily with the younger performers – he seemed particularly friendly with the two leads of the show, the 'twins', and was currently sitting between them, leaning against the boy and laughing at their war stories from various performances. Every once in a while Duo would look up, searching for Trowa. Trowa stayed nearby, talking to the handful of acrobats he felt comfortable around – those who had performed with his parents and remembered him as the obnoxious kid that liked to walk the high wire when there wasn't a net under it.

But suddenly Etienne had joined the group. He waited until the current story – that of Trowa disappearing and his parents frantically searching for him until they found him asleep on top of the lion cages – and laughed along with everyone else at the end.

"I'm going to steal him for a while," Etienne announced to the group as he took hold of Trowa's elbow and started to steer him away. Trowa looked over his shoulder, but Duo was immersed in conversation and didn't see him.

Etienne led him towards the kitchen and the stairs and then up. Trowa knew they were headed for Etienne's bedroom and he steeled himself for the inevitable confrontation that would occur as soon as the door was closed behind them.

"Trowa, you don't seem happy to see me."

Etienne gestured for Trowa to sit on the bed, which the teen did with growing dread.

"Eti – I'm not interested in you."

"Oh really? You're with that little boy, then?"

"That little boy? Come on – I was three years younger than him last time I saw you. You didn't seem so uninterested in little boys then."

Etienne snorted.

"You were hardly little, Trowa. And I never said I wasn't interested in him – just that you should be with someone older, more experienced."

"Someone like you."

"Of course."

Etienne moved over by the bed, standing in front of Trowa and staring down at him. After a tense, silent moment Etienne reached out and ran a hand through Trowa's hair. Trowa flinched at the contact, but Etienne didn't seem to notice.

"Don't tell me you're still afraid of sex, Trowa. I thought you had grown up."

"I'm not afraid of sex, Eti. I'm –"

"You're what?" Etienne leaned down, his breath ghosting across Trowa's face.

The combination of anxiety at Etienne's nearness and his anger at being in this position again was doing odd things to Trowa's nerves. His stomach felt light and empty and Etienne's hand, now running down the back of his neck, made him shiver.

"What are you Trowa? Hm? I don't think it's me you're afraid of… is it?" Etienne leaned even closer and brushed his lips against Trowa's, the touch light.

"No, it isn't me," Etienne concluded. His hand moved farther down Trowa's back and at the same time he leaned closer, forcing Trowa to lay down on the mattress.

"I know that it hurt you last time, Trowa… but that was your first time… this time…" Etienne's hand moved down Trowa's side, tracing his ribs and running over his navel before reaching the top of Trowa's jeans. His fingers ran along the inside waistband of Trowa's boxers.

"Hm, Trowa?"

Trowa fought against the strange surge of lust. He WAS afraid of Etienne and he was also afraid of how easily Etienne was turning him on. Memories of that night three years ago resurfaced. It had hurt, and he knew that some of that – as Etienne said – had been because it was his first time. But Etienne, while gentle now, was incredibly forceful in other ways. Trowa shook himself free of those thoughts. That was not going to happen again.

"Eti –"

"Yes?" Etienne didn't wait for him to say anything. Instead he leaned down and put his lips over Trowa's again. This time the kiss was far from gentle. The pressure from Etienne's lips was bruising and he used his tongue to push Trowa's lips apart. The feeling of Etienne's tongue on his own was too much and when he heard and felt the zipper to his jeans being pulled down Trowa reacted.

He put his hands on Etienne's shoulders and pushed hard, sending the other man careening from the bed.

At that same moment the door opened and Duo stepped inside.

"Trowa?" Duo took one look at Trowa laying on the bed and Etienne on the floor. His lips tightened. "Let's go, huh?"

Trowa was on his feet in an instant and followed Duo from the room without looking back, zipping his pants back up as he went. They walked out of the house without speaking to anyone, although Duo did raise his hand in farewell to the 'twins' before they left. As soon as they were outside Trowa stopped and sat down on the front steps.

"You okay?" Duo asked as he joined him, their knees bumped together but otherwise Duo put space between them.

"Yeah. No."

Duo nodded his head sagely.

"Let me drive, okay?"

"I'm not that fucked up," Trowa protested.

"Yeah, I know, but I want to take us somewhere."

Trowa shrugged and passed over the car keys.

"C'mon," Duo stood and held out a hand to Trowa. "Let's blow this popsicle stand."

Trowa grinned despite himself and took the offered hand. Duo easily pulled him to his feet.

They rode in silence to Duo's mystery destination. Duo turned on the radio and the heavy bass from rock songs had lulled Trowa into a sense of security. He closed his eyes and leaned back in the passenger seat.

"We're here," Duo announced a few minutes later as the car came to a stop.

Trowa opened his eyes to a spectacular sight.

They were up on the top level of a parking deck, several blocks east of the Strip, and the neon skyline stretched before them. Trowa had never seen the casinos from this angle – he had never been impressed with the Strip anyway. But the sight was almost breathtaking.

"Wow."

"Yeah," Duo agreed. He cut the ignition and leaned back in his seat. "I come up here all the time. It's…"

"Bigger than us," Trowa finished for him.

"Yeah, exactly." Duo turned to him with a crooked grin. After a moment he reached across the seats and ran his fingers over the back of Trowa's left hand.

"I don't know what's going on with you and that guy. If you want to talk… if you don't…. that's fine."

Trowa drew in a deep breath.

"He's… he's Etienne." Trowa laughed bitterly. "He's just Etienne."

"Yeah, that part I kinda had figured out."

Trowa felt his throat constrict.

"I –"

"Okay, so not yet. That's fine."

They sat in silence for several minutes, enjoying the view while Duo traced patterns over Trowa's knuckles.

" Hey, wanna go back to my place?"

Trowa looked over at him.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not up for sex right now."

Duo snorted.

"Yeah, um. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a slut. I have no intention of having sex with you tonight, Trowa. In the future, yeah, but not tonight. Not on our first date!" The last was said with mock surprise and Trowa felt a smile tugging at his lips.

"Okay, let's go to your place then."

"Great. I'll make some ice cream sundaes."

Trowa shook his head.

"What are you, twelve?"

"What are you, sixty? Who the hell doesn't like ice cream sundaes?"

"I don't know. I just haven't had one since…" Trowa frowned as he thought back. "Not since we were in St. Louis. Twelve years ago."

"Dude. We're talking serious ice cream withdrawal, in that case," Duo's voice was light as he avoided what was obviously not a good topic.

"Yeah," Trowa agreed and leaned his head against the window, the feeling of the cool glass soothing.

"Hey." Duo's fingers tightened around Trowa's hand. Trowa turned his hand and tangled their fingers together. The rest of the ride was in silence, but Trowa felt more at ease and was able to swallow normally by the time they reached the garage.

The place was empty and the lights were turned down low.

"Is Howard going to mind?"

"Hardly. If he was here he'd probably give you a beer. But he's out tonight – with his lady friend." Duo waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Duo took his hand again once they were out of the car and led him up the stairs.

"Alright, let's see about those sundaes."

Duo still held Trowa's hand as he turned on the lights and closed the door, then led him into the kitchen.

"Okay, it'll take me no time at all to create two of these edible masterpieces," Duo assured him, finally releasing Trowa's hand.

Trowa nodded and lifted himself up to sit on the counter. He watched as Duo collected all of the necessary ingredients and, true to his word, in no time at all Duo was passing him a dish with ice cream and toppings piled high on top of a banana. Duo put his own dish to the side and hopped up to join Trowa on the counter before digging in.

"This is good," Trowa said after several bites.

"Yep. Best thing in the world for a shitty day," Duo agreed.

"It wasn't that bad."

"Not for me, for you it sure as hell was. I was having a great time until I walked in on that shit. Seriously though, as dates go it was pretty great."

"Not that you have anything to compare it to."

"True," Duo agreed. "But it was still damn good."

"Up until that last part."

"Yeah. Up until that last part."

They finished off the sundaes in silence, but by the last bite they were leaning against each other, which made it awkward for Trowa to use his right hand so he had to finish off the sundae with his left hand, which made it a slightly sloppier and more difficult task, but he wasn't complaining. Duo's warmth and nearness was comforting.

Once the dishes were empty Duo took them and the spoons and put them in the sink.

"C'mon." He pulled Trowa down from the counter and led him deeper into the apartment. They walked into a dark room and Duo flipped on the light switch to reveal a room that had nearly every inch of wall space covered in posters and bookshelves. Trowa looked around, impressed by the sheer variety. Posters ranging from Picasso to Chinese propaganda to Star Wars and Lou Gehrig. Books on nearly every subject and CDs and DVDs crammed the bookshelves full.

"This is nice."

"Yeah, it's kind of an explosion," Duo started to apologize, one hand scratching the back of his head. Trowa had watched Duo enough to know that this was a gesture he made whenever he was feeling embarrassed.

"No, really. It's great."

Duo smiled slightly.

"Yeah, okay."

They stood awkwardly for a moment before Duo yawned wide enough to crack his jaw. Which immediately prompted Trowa to follow suit. Duo chuckled.

"C'mon, it's late."

"Okay." Trowa turned to leave but Duo caught at his hand.

"I wasn't telling you to leave."

"But –" Trowa frowned, trying to figure out what was going on.

Duo rolled his eyes.

"I said I wasn't going to have sex with you. But I do plan on sleeping with you. Unless you really want to go back to your apartment and wait for your sister to get home at three in the morning and ask you how things went with Etienne?"

Trowa swallowed hard. That was exactly what would happen if he went home.

"Not really."

"Good. Then take off your clothes."

"You sure you aren't trying to -"

"Keep on your boxers, then. I can still cop a feel if I want to."

Trowa rolled his eyes but started to undress.

Duo rifled through some drawers.

"I've got some sweats if you want – they're gonna be about six inches too short."

"No, I'm fine in my boxers."

"Cool, d'you mind… I usually just sleep in my skivvies?"

"No, I don't mind. That way I can still cop a feel too."

Duo chuckled.

"You want inside or outside?"

"Um?"

"Of the bed."

Trowa looked over. Duo's bed was shoved into a corner, with windows on either side of the head of the bed.

"Inside."

"Cool. Then after you."

Duo gestured towards the bed and Trowa climbed under the sheets.

A moment later Duo joined him. For a minute or so they lay staring up at the ceiling.

"Is it going to freak you out if I touch you?" Duo asked.

"No."

Duo scooted closer and Trowa turned, his back to Duo's front. Duo put one arm across Trowa's side, his hand resting on the mattress beside Trowa's right elbow. Duo's chest was against Trowa's back, but the contact was loose – Trowa could easily pull away and Duo's arm was light and not at all constricting.

They lay like that for several minutes until Trowa felt ready to talk.

"He was my first time."

"How old were you?"

"Fourteen. He was twenty-one."

Duo was silent.

"It was… not pleasant."

"Did he –"

"He didn't rape me. He just, didn't really consider the fact that I was fourteen and thought that kissing and touching his dick was great but didn't really feel ready to have my face pressed into a mattress so hard I couldn't breathe while he fucked me without using lube."

Duo's arm tightened around Trowa.

Trowa drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Cathy thought I was just being a kid – she thinks I was just inexperienced."

"Well obviously, you were a virgin," Duo said bitterly.

"Yeah, but she doesn't understand – that's not why."

"I know. I – Heero was my first. Last year. Neither one of us knew what we were doing, so it was a mess. Heero's not exactly… gentle or thoughtful at the best of times."

"No shit."

"And he didn't use enough lube, and he… well, it sucked."

"But you've worked through that," Trowa said bitterly.

Duo moved closer and leaned his face against the back of Trowa's neck.

"With the sex, yeah."

Trowa tried to move away but Duo kept hold of him.

"Don't do that."

"What?"

"Get all distant. I'm here with you, aren't I?"

"Duo –"

"You haven't even asked me to stop seeing him."

"Not that I'm in the position to do that."

"No, you're not," Duo agreed. He kissed Trowa's neck. "Not yet."

Trowa snorted.

"What? A few more confessions about my shitty childhood and I'll be in?"

"Don't be an asshole. I've known you for three weeks, Tro."

"And we haven't had sex yet. What, are you waiting to compare and see which of us is worth keeping?"

Duo kicked him and Trowa winced.

"Shut up or I'm going to start getting angry. I don't need shitty confessions or a trial run to know I like you better. But things are complicated. Right now – right now you feel really good and I just want to sleep with you. I never get to cuddle and you need some cuddling. So suck it up, kiss me goodnight, and let's sleep."

Trowa fumed silently for a moment but then he rolled over and Duo kissed him on the nose.

"Good. Now sleep, you grumpy bastard."

Trowa felt a grin tug at the corners of his mouth and obediently rolled back over, resuming their previous positions. He was asleep within minutes.

* * *

TBC...

So yeah… that was god-awful long. I know that the chase was short and there was way more on the relationship that maybe there should have been, but I felt like throwing in some nice, angsty-fluffy romancing. Hope you all enjoyed.


End file.
